Between Heaven and Hell
by JohnStrider19
Summary: All from Karkat's POV. It is a demonstuck. TW! - death, suicide, genocide, blood, needles, knives, swords, magic, slave ownership, and lots of religious stuff (that I in no way claim to be true or correct. It's for the story plot. No matter your religion, I respect you so please respect me and my readers). Rated for language, sexual content and Striders
1. Intro

In this world, demons and angels walk freely. They look like us. They sound like us.

But they are _not_ like us. My older brother Kankri and I had found that out the hard way when our father was stolen by demon scum and was sent to Hell right in front of us.

Since then, we started to hunt demons. To kill demons. And, in that, we found out about the angels.

There were a handful of hunters who lived near us who took us in. One was a really cute girl named Terezi and she and her sister Latula helped us move into the apartment buliding the hunters lived in.

It was clean and nice, owned by one of the older hunter families who were rather rich and didn't charge rent. They only asked that we took care and kept people of the city safe.

Most of the hunters were young and had lost our parent or parents to the war the demons and angels seemed to feel the need to fight here and now. The only family who still had a parent was Gamzee and his brother, Kurloz.

Their dad was still alive. In an aslyum, but alive. He'd lost his mind when he saw Kurloz's tongue get cut out by a demon who also killed their mother.

I was close to Gamzee now, since he'd gotten hurt in our loas raid of a nest. He'd snapped and killed somewhere around ten demons. He was stong, but he needed a friend.

Those were different than just forming a bond over hunting. I was friends with two other people, aside from Gamzee.

Dave and John were probably the two dumbest fuckers I knew, but they were my friends and I wanted to protect them from demons. Dave was always being followed by some. John was followed by a few, but to a lesser extent.

One of the demons who followed Dave was one of the strongest I'd ever seen, and that made me worry about him. He didn't talk about his home life or his family, so I assumed he didn't really have a family.

John, on the other hand, only spoke well of his family, aside from his Dad's issues with cake. And, as far as they were both aware, I was a normal teenager like them. It made me slightly sad that I couldn't tell them about my after school commitments, but it was to keep them safe...

Or. I thought so, at least.


	2. Chapter 1

Dave and I were walking home from school, his apartment building a couple blocks away from mine. Demons followed us like any other day. We'd already said goodbye to John, who lived fairly close to school.

But today seemed different. Dave was quiet, his hands in his pockets. "Hey dipshit. Are you okay?" I asked, nudging him with my elbow.

He turned his head to look at me, his shades ever present on his face. "Yeah, I'm good." He shrugged. "Just tired, I guess. I had some lame ass dreams last night." He sighed as we reached his apartment building.

"What about?" I asked softly, making him snort. The demons spread out around us, making bile raise in my throat.

"You. And John. We were different. But we were the same." He shook his head. "It didn't really make sense, but I felt like John and I were fighting over you." He frowned, looking at me.

A small blush slipped over my cheeks. "Why the fuck would you guys be fighting over me?" He just raised his eyebrow at me.

"You really are dense, you know?" He sighed and leaned forward, his lips touching mine. The blush grew as he kissed me softly, burning hot across my face. I was too shocked to pull away.

He stood straight again before he turned to go into the building. "W-w-what the fuck was that?!" I gasped.

"Our first kiss, of course. I thought that was pretty obvious." He smiled at me, leaning against the doorframe. "And it won't be our last. See ya later." He waved goodbye and slipped into the building, the door swinging shut behind him.

My face burned the whole way home, making Kankri look at me and open his mouth for a mile long rant. I held up my hand, not wanting to hear it.


	3. Chapter 2

I went to my room to take a short nap before we went hunting tonight. What felt like minutes later, I was woken up by a soft shake from Kankri. He handed me my boot knife and my gun.

With a yawn, I slipped my gun into my back pocket and strapped my knife to my boot, pulling my pant leg over it. As I stood up, I stretched, my back popping loudly.

It'd been months since I had a normal sleep pattern, and I - more often than not - fell asleep in class. My grades didn't suffer from it though. I was a smart kid, at least.

Street and book wise. That helped me in the long run, it seemed. Our group for the night met up in the lobby.

It was Kankri and me, Terezi and he sister Latula, Cronus and his douche little brother Eridan, and Latula's boyfriend Mituna and his little brother. Kankri blushed slightly as he stood next to Cronus, who wrapped an arm around Kankri's waist.

Kankri simply pinched Cronus's index finger, making him squeak and move his arm away. "Karkat and I will lead the seperate teams. Karkat, your team will go scouting in the Southern region and work East. My team will be scouting in the Northern region working our way West. We meet back here after four in the morning. If not all of us are back by five, we go searching in a conjoined group.

Keep your guard up. Terezi, Mituna, you two will be log keepers. I want you to write down where you see demons and how many there are. And please, no foul langue or dirty doodles." He said as he handed them the small, journal like notebooks.

Terezi giggled. "No promises." She smirked. Kankri sighed heavily.

"We seperate as usual. Protect the loggers. And if you see and demon, don't miss." He looked at me and held his hand out, his fingers curled into the O.K. symbol.

This was our thing, seeing as our birthdays fall to where we were both cancers. I held mine over his, completing the symbol with a sigh. He put his hand on my shoulder. "Be careful." It wasn't a question.

"You too." I nodded once and motioned for my group to follow me. It was made up of Eridan, Sollux, Terezi and myself. "I swear if you two start fighting, I will kill you both." I threatened Solluz and Eridan.

The two hated each other, always tossing insults back and forth. Which was funny, because they hook up almost every night before the hunt.

We hit the streets, catching the late night bus as usual. As we got on, Terezi stiffened and opened the notebook, her teal colored pen darting across the paper as soon as we sat down.

I looked out from under my bangs, seeing a swarm of demons in the last few seats. My heart beat faster in my chest as I counted them.

There were nearly thirty demons on this bus with us. And we couldn't do anything to them, because there were also humans with us.

I licked my lips, muttering words I knew would make them follow us. "Filthy demon scum. Hiding behind humans as usual." The bus seemed to instantly be filled with a thick wave of anger, and the others felt it was well.

Terezi snapped the notebook shut and slipped it into one of her seemingly bottomless pockets, hand tightening on her red and white stripped cane.

She wasn't blind, but she could fuck up someone with the cane. And kill a demon once she unsheathed the sword that hid inside of it. It was long and thin, but sharp as fuck and could cut through three demons at once.

It was a symbol of justice, she told me the first time I'd seen her take the sword out. She held it so the lights of the basement gleamed off it it. "This is the Judgement." She swung it through the air, making a soft whistle sound before she slipped it back into the cane.

We got off the bus, every single demon following us out. There were soft snickers as we headed into a dark, out of the way alley. As we rounded the corner, I reached down, unstrapping my knife as I pulled my gun out of my pocket.

With the two, I was a pretty good fighter. Nowhere near Terezi, but still. The demons surged around the corner after us, only to be caught by surprise by our little ambush.

I shot the ones who didn't get close to me, cutting the throats of those that did. Not five minutes later, we were standing in a little pile of dead demons, some still gasping as they grasped at their necks where I had cut them.

Those I kicked to be on their backs so I could stab them straight through the heart. It wasn't pity. It was what a human being should do.

Nothing should have a sufferable death, demon or otherwise. We continued on with the night and headed back to the lobby of the apartment building we all called home.

Aside from the demons we'd ran into on the bus, it was quiet. Not a demon to be seen.

We got back to the lobby about a quarter after four and sat on the edges of our seats, waiting for our older siblings to get back.

Half an hour later, they walked in, Mituna holding Latula's hand. We all breathed a sigh of relief when the groups were total in numbers and all okay.

Kankri and I took the notebooks and headed to our apartment after a few minutes. I handed the one from my group to him to mark the map of the city and stretched out on the couch. "Was your night oddly dull as well?" He asked, opening the notebooks and grabbing pushpins.

"Yeah. We only had the issue with the demons on the bus then nothing. It really is weird." I yawned. "Wake me up for when I have to go to school." I rolled onto my side and promptly fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 3

Though I was running on only around four hours of sleep a night, I still went to school. Still walked with Dave and John.

Still put up with their shit. But, today Dave and John weren't waiting for me. And they weren't at school. It was like this for a week straight before finally Dave was waiting for me, his stance different.

"Where the fuck have you been?" I huffed as I got close. Then I got a look at him. He was wearing a different shirt, this one red with black sleeves, a black anarchy symbol on the front. A thick black collar was clasped on his neck.

He had piercings in his lip and eyebrow and ears. And his hair was slightly different, parted at the side and swirling around his face, covering most of his ears, only the dangling rings visible in his skin. My jaw dropped.

"Dude. What happened?" I asked, reaching up to touch his cheek. He smiled, catching my hand and pulled me against him, kissing me roughly, making me gasp.

"Not much. Just had a little vacation." He laughed softly. "I was finally able to do what I wanted. I even got some ink." He said, rolling up his sleeve.

It was a symbol I'd seen before, but I couldn't remember what it meant, right in the middle of his arm. We started to walk. "You want a piercing? I learned how to do it." He smirked.

"Uh no I'm good." I said, crossing my arms. "Doesn't that shit hurt?" I asked.

He laughed. "Only if you're a little bitch." We were close to where John was waiting for us. "And speaking of little bitches. Sup loser?" He smirked at John, who didn't answer as he always would.

His usual 'Nothing much hipster douche' was lost when he answered. "Do not speak to me bottom feeder."

Dave laughed and held his arms out. "Oh I'm a bottom feeder? Look who's talking!" He snorted. I looked from John to Dave and back.

Had something happened between the two of them? And did John's eyes seem...lighter, somehow? Making me jump, Dave got close to John, almost in his face. "Do you really think you're so perfect? Huh birdbitch? I bet I could hand your ass to you on a platter if you actualy faced me like a man. Maybe after I fuck it, of course."

John lifted his chin a bit at that last part. "Again, I say bottom feeder. And I will not let you pull Karkat down that disgusting road." John said, grabbing my arm.

Dave laughed againg, pulling me away from John. "Haven't you heard? Karkat's already mine." His arms wrapped around me and his face nestled into the crook of my neck, making me turn beet red.

"Dave let me the fuck go." I said, trying to stay calm. I shivered when I felt his lips on my neck. "I'm serious Dave." I pushed away from him.

John smiled slightly, pulling me to stand by him. I moved away from John a bit, making his grip on me tighten almost painfully. "Ow dude." I winced as he squeezed my wrist.

"Karkat is mine." Dave snarled, stepping froward. John lifted his head and there was a harsh blast of air that slammed into Dave.

That blew his shades off of his face and his hair to the side. Dave didn't seem to care, he just glared at us openly.

His eyes... "Dave!" I gasped, my heart all but stopping in my chest. His eyes...They were red. And...glowing.

Like a...demon's. "Dave?" I asked, trying to free myself from John's grip. Dave snarled, and John shivered, his hand dropping me as wings burst out of his shirt, ripping it.

"Kakat, I-" John was cut off by Dave's laugh.

"That's not even John. That 'angel' killed him so their souls wouldn't be fighting in his body." Dave smirked as I backed away slightly. "The reason I never talked about my home life is because I was _born_ into a clan of demons. I was _born_ a demon, and I came into my own after I kissed you last week." He smiled softly at me.

"I really do like you, Karkat. But that guy standing right there is _not_ John. He knows what John knew, but trust me, it's not him." He held his hand out to me and time seemed to freeze around the three of us.

"Karkat, I hate to say this, but he is right. John, the John you knew, at least, was chosen by God to be my vessel so I could protect you from that...Strider." John spat.

"Y-you killed John!" I gasped, my mind spinning. "And you're a demon!" I pointed at Dave, who nodded. Tears stung in my eyes.

"But I'm still me, Karkat. Before I wasn't fully a demon. Now I am. Ask me anything. And I vow to you I will not lie. On my honor as a Strider." He put his right hand over his heart.

"How did Dave and I become friends?" I asked, bile raising in my stomach. Dave's face softened.

"You were having a panic attack in the boy's bathroom in middle school. I found you there and talked you through it, holding you as you cried into my shirt." He smiled. "And since then we've been friends. And you somehow put up with my shit. And..." He cheeks turned pink. "I kind of fell in love with you."

My heart skipped a beat as he said the last part. I was scared and confused and so tired... "Dave..." I sighed, reaching into my pocket.

I pulled out my gun that I always had on me. "I'm a hunter, Dave. A _demon_ hunter. I have been for a long time." I said softly.

He visiably shrank back, his pointed ears drooping slightly. I didn't move as he took a cautious step toward me, then another. Until he put his hand on my shoulders, I didn't move.

Now I looked up at him, my eyes searching his red ones for any sign of hope that this was all a dream. "Karkat, I will never hurt you." He said softly, kissing my forehead. "And I'd sooner die at your hands then let someone else hurt you."

"Karkat, you honestly don't believe this trash, do you? I love you, Karkat." John stepped forward, his hand on my arm cold compared to Dave's. "I have always loved you. Since we were both little. And now I want to save you from this demon scum. You know, sooner or later, they turn their lovers into demons. Selfish reasons, too. They never want them to leave them, so the damn them to Hell."

"You leave Karkat out of this!" Dave pushed me behind him. "And quit pretending like you're John. We _all_ know you're not him." Dave snarled, his hands clawing in front of me as I watched, his nails rounding out into sharp points.

"Oh please. You lied to him all these years! How could he possibly trust Hell's spawn over an angel, a warrior of God himself!" John laughed.

I turned and ran. I ran from them. Ran home as fast as I could.

Once there, I told Kankri to call in for me and hid in my room, locking the door behind me. My phone went off like crazy, calls and texts from both Dave and John lighting up the screen.

I shut off my phone, wanting to think things through before I talked to either of them. But, if everything that had happened _really_ happened, I would side with the angel in John's body against Dave, who was a demon.

Right? But...the angel had killed John. Dave was still Dave, if not a little more evil. And terrifying to look at. But he was hot with his piercings...

I pulled my pillow over my mouth and screamed hard and loud into it, not worried about Kankri hearing me. I did this whenever I was frustrated or confused.

Once my throat was raw from the repeative screams, I let myself drift into a deep sleep. I woke up some time around noon, dizzy and light headed.

I needed to eat something... Making my way to the kitchen, I read the note Kankri had left before he went to work. "If you need me, call. You looked paler than snow, Karkat. I am worried that you may be truely ill. I will be home around seven tonight."

Quickly, I made myself a ramen cup and sat down in the livng room, turning on the TV. I avoided the news, not wanting to hear about the crimes of demons pinned on normal humans yet again.

Instead, I went to a safe channel. One they never cut in on for news. It played really good movies like Fifty First Dates, Bridesmaids and, if I was luckly, Clueless.

I watched that channel well into the after noon, ignnoring my phone. Until, that is, the caller ID said it wasn't in my contacts.

Uneasy, I answered, expecting it to be Kankri calling from work. "Hello?" I swallowed hard.

"Karkat." It was Dave. "I know you're ignoring me. Please, come outside? I really need to talk to you." He hung up and a jolt of panic rushed through me.

He was outside? Of an apartment buiding home to two dozen of the finest demon hunters around? My _demon _friend?!


	5. Chapter 4

I bolted off the couch and ran to the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. Trying to seem calm as I hit the first floor, I walked out of the building and looked for Dave.

He was standing across the street, leaning against a light pole. I crossed carefully, almost getting hit on the way. He looked up when I reached him, his face serious. "Follow me." He started walking, not waiting for an answer.

"Where are we going?" I asked, following him. He didn't answer for a few minutes, hopping over a puddle, pulling me over it with his arm around my waist.

"A neutral place. Nobody attacks anyone there. Not even demons." He smiled softly, opening the door to a cafe.

The smell of coffee bit at my nose, making me shiver. Dave started down a set of stairs into the cafe, looking up at me when he was at the bottom. His eyes were glowing bright in the dark entrance.

I swallowed hard and followed him down into the cafe. People waved at him, humans and demons, as he took his shades off with a sigh. A girl bounced up, grinning brightly at him. "Hi Dave. The usual?" She asked as he sat down.

"Yeah. Thanks Meg." He motioned for me to sit across from him. "And a piece of cherry for my boyfriend." I spluttered at the word, ready to correct him, but Meg was already gone.

His piercing eyes met mine, making me blush. "Karkat, you're on edge. I _can_ read you, ya know? Even without my hightened senses, I can tell you're nervous. Relax. This place really is neutral. The humans come for the food and coffee. Demons come for the food and coffee."

"Right." I said, trying to relax like the other humans around us.

"Dude, the owner is a demon who _married_ a human. She wouldn't let anything happen in or around her cafe." I looked at him again at that.

A human married a demon? "DId he know she was a demon?" I asked softly.

"Yeah, her wife knew. And she didn't care. Karen is trying to make it so that demons and humans aren't scared of each other and can actullay co exist. The angels, on the other hand, want nothing but war." He barely concealed a snarl, taking deep breaths.

Everything he'd shown me so far went against _EVERYTHING_ I'd been taught as a hunter. Demons only wanted war. Angels protected us, the humans.

But today alone I'd learned that everything I'd been taught was...backwards. That angel had killed John. Dave was talking to me peacefully in a cafe filled with humans and demons who were talking.

Nobody was dying. No blood was being spilt. No fangs bared. It was so peaceful...

"Explain." I said through clenched teeth. He smiled and took my hand under the table as Meg brought out a piece of cherry pie with a small bowl of whipped cream and sat it in front of me. She sat a bowl and opaque cup in front of Dave, who smiled up at her.

"Can you bring him a Coke?" He asked her softly. She nodded and skipped off. Literally SKIPPED. "Let's talk after we eat, okay? The pie is best when it's warm. And as far as my food goes, don't pick out of my bowl, okay? Just trust me on that one."

I nodded and tried to relax. Really, I did. "Here ya go." Meg smiled, sitting the unopened can in front of me. "So, you're new here, huh?" She asked softly, sitting next to me on the edge of the booth. I nodded, making her smile.

"That's good. My moms like seeing new faces in here. You're the first boy my cousin has brought in though." She smiled at me, making Dave cough loudly and sit his cup down with a thud. She ignored it and kept going.

"We really are nice here. And there's no way in hell my moms or I would let anything happen to anyone in our cafe." She stood and, like Dave had this morning, put her right hand over her heart. "I promise you this, my friend. Saftey is guaranteed here." Her eyes lit up a deep shade of purple, making my jaw drop.

"Alright, Megan, that's enough. Go tell Aunty J and Aunty Ro I said hi." She smiled and ran off. I looked at Dave. "What? That's their daughter. Demon women can get human women pregnant, ya know?"

I shook my head. "Oh. You didn't know?" He coughed into his fist. "Well, that's awkward. But yeah. Meg is half demon and half human. Crazy kid was starting fires in her bed right before she came into her own. Means she's pretty strong though." He shrugged.

"Really?" I asked, happy to learn more about anything. "Were you able to do anything like that?" I asked, taking a small bite of pie. "Holy fuck." I said softly.

"Well yeah. I told you about the messed up dreams and stuff. I accidentally set my sister on fire the other day, but she's okay. Demon's don't burn too well. These piercings actually mean something."

I blinked and he touched the one in his lip. "This it so my tongue and fangs are sealed. The ones in my ears are so my hearing isn't at full strength. The one in my eyebrow is so I don't blow up people's heads. And the tattoo is more or less a family crest." He said softly, his fingers brushed over his skin. "Did you know we heal extremely fast? Few things can actually kill us."

"I knew that last part. But blow people's head up?" I asked softly, squeezing his hand as he took another drink from the dark cup.

"Yeah. It's in my genetic pool. All the males in my family can more or less make people's minds turn to mush." I swallowed hard. "I can't do it without taking this out though." He said softly, touching the loop that hung over his glowing eyes.

I nodded, semi understanding what he meant. "But you won't take it out, will you? You don't want to do that, right?" I asked softly.

"Of course I don't!" He gasped, his hand tightening on mine slightly. I squeezed back, rubbing his hand with my thumb. "But...if I or my family am attacked, there's only so much I can do. Hunters really don't listen to us, even with our hands and tails in the air, they kill us." He looked into my eyes.

My mind instantly went to the demon swarm that night not so long ago. They'd just been on the bus, and I instagated them. And they followed us, because of that. And we killed them. Al of them...

"I know." He said softly. "I know. But you're probably the nicest hunter I've seen." He said, not taking his eyes off of mine. "You don't make us suffer. GIve us a warrior's death." His eyes soften and it looked like he might cry. "And for that, I thank you." He kissed my hand, making me blush.

"H-how do you know?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat. "How do you know how I fight?" He smiled again, looking at me in a way that made the lump in my throat eight times bigger.

He looked at me like he loved me. "I followed you and your little crew. If anything serious happened and you guys got into trouble, I was going to step in. But it never did. And, thankfully, my family never noticed. You or me watching you."

He'd been watching me? Ready to save me and my friends? I bit my lip hard. "Enough questons. Actually, I have one for you." He said softly. I nodded. "Will you be my boyfriend? My real boyfriend?" He asked.

My body was shaking. But...it was Dave. Really Dave. He may be a demon, but he'd always been one. He was just..._more _of a demon now. "Yeah." I mumbled.

His face lit up and I looked down at my empty plate. He laced his fingers in mine as he kissed my knuckles softly. "Thank you." He said softly before he pulled out his wallet and sat a twenty on the table. "Let me take you home." He said softly.


	6. Chapter 5

The sky had darkened to near dusk by the time we walked out of the cafe, and it made the hairs on the back of my neck raise slowly. Dave had put his shades back on with his free hand, the other still twined with mine.

I shivered as a cold breeze whipped through the streets, making Dave pull me against his chest, his arms wrapping around me as we walked, me in front of him. It was awkward, but her was so warm...

He placed soft kisses along my shoulders and neck as we walked, making goosebumps raise on my skin, but I leaned into his touch. When we were about a block away from my apartment building, I stopped. "You probably shouldn't come closer." I said softly.

"Right." He sighed, resting his chin on my shoulder lightly. I turned in his arms, a deep blush on my cheeks as I hugged him. He hugged me back, holding me close.

He smells so good. Like apples. He always smells like apples... I smiled against his shirt. "Be careful." I said softly, nuzzling into him more.

He laughed, the sound vibrating against my cheek. "_You_ be careful." He kissed the top of my head. "I'm so happy you said yes." He sighed against my hair.

I looked up, knowing our eyes met though I couldn't see his. His hands moved to rest on my cheek and waist lightly, his thumb brushing lightly over my lips. My eyes closed slightly as he did this, and he leaned forward, kissing me softly.

It was like our first, but I was expecting this one. I smiled against his lips, not wanting to move. It was nice, being with Dave. It didn't matter what we were, demon, human, or even demon hunter.

I wanted this moment to last forever...His arm wrapped around my waist tightly and I felt like I was flying. It wasn't until I opened my eyes did I notice we actually were flying through the air, the ground a few dozen feet below us.

With a sharp gasp, I clung to him, my arms wrapping around his neck. "W-what-" I started to ask what he was doing, but his hand clapped over my mouth as we landed on the top of a tall building.

Not a second later, he jumped again. I saw a flash of silver and a blur of black under us. "Jack!" He snapped, bringing his foot down fast.

I gasped as I saw the other demon, a sword pinned under Dave's foot. "You're dating one of them?!" The other, Jack, snarled at Dave. "A hunter!" He spat.

Dave spun me out of his arms and toward the center of the building. "Jack, I don't want to hurt you, but you won't hurt him." He said, his voice sure. Jack laughed and turned to face me.

His eyes were a bright burning green. Dave sighed and took off his shades, sitting them on the ground at his feet. In a split second, Jack was hurtling off of the building, Dave having _pushed_ him off.

Dave stood at the edge, looking down, stepping back after a moment. The ground trembled and Jack was jumping over the side, swinging the sword at Dave.

Fear shot through me as I watched Dave barely step far enough back to avoid it. He sighed and pressed two fingers to his tattoo, his lips moving quickly. Jack froze. "W-what are you doing Strider?!" He roared.

Dave's tattoo was glowing bright red against his skin now, making my mouth drop. Jack was backing away quickly, Dave following him steadily.

Like he was playing cops and robbers, Dave pointed his hand at Jack, making a fake gun. Jack gasped and turned to jump off the building, but Dave's finger snapped down as he reached the edge.

A large red ball of shining light hit Jack in his chest and...he was gone, a pile of ash where he stood. Dave waved his hand like he'd burnt himself, going to pick up his shades. "What in the fuck was all that?!" I screamed in fear.

He put his shades on and came to stand by me. "Think of this." He hled out his arm, his index and middle finger tips were burnt. "Like the most powerful gun in the world. I can do that to angels, humans and demons. But it hurts like hell and uses a lot of energy. I can maybe fire off thirty of them a day before I pass out." He shrugged. "Other demons...one in a year?" He shrugged again.

I gaped. "And Jack must've been following us for the day. I must not have noticed him because I was with you." He smiled softly, taking my hand. "So..." He looked around. "Getting down should be...fun." He laughed.

As I looked around for an exit, I found none. So that meant we'd have to go down the way we came up... Dave scooped me up in his arms and walked toward the edge, his movements smooth. "Oh good. An alley. Shouldn't draw a lot of attention this way." He said as he stepped off the side of hte building.

I clung to him as we fell, squeezing my eyes shut. When we landed, I barely felt the impact. I opened my eyes to see his knees bent and an easy smile on his face. "Demons are really good at doing stuff like this. Quiet and fast." He sat me on my feet. "Let's get you home before another dumbass attacks us."

We made our way around the building and back to the corner we'd been at. He kissed me softly on the lips and looked up at the darkening sky. "I need to go." He said softly.

"Why?" I asked, fear roiling in my stomach. Was he in trouble for killing Jack?

"My brother is calling me." He said, turning his head to the side as he tucked his hair behind his pointed ear. It twitched slightly. "He's worried too." He kissed me again.

"Dave..." I held his hand tightly, not wanting to let go.

"It's okay Karkat. I'll be with you tonight. Just out of sight." He kissed my forehead. "You need to get inside. The air is thick tonight."

"Huh?" I looked up at him, but he shook his head and took a small step away from me.

"You'll understand soon. But for now, take a nap and eat something. And avoid my neighborhood tonight if you can." He cupped my cheek. "And be careful." I closed my eyes, leaning into his warm palm.

"I will." There was a small noise and I opened my eyes to see him darting into the air. Alone, I walked quickly to my apartment building. Once inside, I leaned against he wall of the elevator heavily.

Dave's my...boyfriend. My actual boyfriend. I bit my lip on a smile and sighed happily. Kankri was going to want to know where I'd been and what had happened earlier, but I wasn't going to tell him anything.

Hell, I wasn't sure what I was going to tell anyone. The doors opened on a different floor and there was Terezi. She smiled at me and stepped into the elevator. "Hey. I was just coming to see you."

"See me? For what?" I asked softly.

"I wanted to see if you wanted to train with me before our outting tonight." She said, a smile on her face.

"Oh. I dunno Terezi, I'm kinda tired." I said. I really was tired. After everything that's happened today, how could I not be?

"Oh." She said softly, looking down. "Is everything okay? I heard from Tulip that you came back from school super early." Tulip was Latula's nickname.

She was also sometimes called 'Bloody Tulip' for how she fights. "Yeah, everything is okay." I said softly. "I just wasn't feeling too good this morning and came home." She nodded.

"I see. Well, I hope you're feeling better." She smiled and smacked my back as the doors opened. I nodded and stepped off, geading to the apartment.

When I opened the door, I expected to be flooded by Kankri's voice, but it was quiet. Looking around, I saw that Kankri was asleep on the couch, John standing over him.

"What are you doing here?" I snarled. John looked at me and smiled. "And what did you do to my brother?" I was reaching for my gun in my back pocket.

"Relax. Bullets won't hurt me anyway." He stepped toward me. "He's just asleep. I need to talk to you."

"Then say what you need to say and leave." I said through clenched teeth. He sighed and sat at the small dinner table that never got used.

"I have a few things. One, I want you to know that John was already sick and was going to pass soon from his illness. He's not suffering anymore." That shocked me. John always looked so happy..."He'd had a terminal illness that ate away at his organs. There wasn't any treatment that would help him. So he decided to live his life to the fullest as he could. He had only a week or so left before I came into him.

Two. I know that you are with the demon. In a relationship. I do not frown upon homosexuality, but with a demon? That is out of the question." He rested his chin in his hand. "But the one thing you need to take from this is that you can't let him bite you. Ever."

Still shaken by John's illness, I wasn't able to think why Dave couldn't bite me. "Why not?" I asked, clenching my fists at my sides.

"Because once his fangs break you skin, you are his. Even in death. And if you bite him, you will turn into a demon. And you will fully be a part of our war."

My head was spinning. A dull roar was building in my ears, getting louder as the lights flickered. "And you will be damned to Hell." I could barely see John now.

Then, all at once, the light was out. When it came back on, my head was on the table and Kankri was shaking me softly. "Karkat?" He breathed.

"Huh?" I asked, my hand flying to my head. It was pounding!

"Are you still feeling unwell?" I nodded. "Okay. I'll put someone else in your place for tonight." I nodded again and got up, heading to my bedroom to lay down.


	7. Chapter 6

As I climbed into my bed, I felt the covers move next to me, a startled gasp almost making its way out of my mouth if the warm hand hadn't covered my lips. My eyes flew open and Dave, I shit you not, materialized OUT of my mattress, kissing me lightly on my nose.

He moved his hand and kissed my lips softly, turning my gasp into a small noise in the back of my throat. "Dave, what the actual fuck are you doing here?" I whispered, careful to not scream.

"I saw that feathery fucker come in here when I was heading home. I came to check on you, Karkat." He pulled me into his warm embrace. "I can't let anything happen to you. If I didn't have you..." He trailed off, shaking his head, burying his face against my neck, making chills crawl down my spine. "I don't want to think about it." He whispered.

"Dave..." I breathed, wrapping my arms around him. "It's okay. Nothing is going to happen to me." I shivered as his warm lips pressed against my neck lightly. "I swear."

"But with hunting and that...thing watching you now, I can't be so sure." I felt something wet drip onto my neck.

"Dave?" I asked softly, pulling back to look at him. He buried his face in my pillow, refusing to look at me, but I felt him shaking. "Dave, look at me. Please?" He shook his head until I grabbed his chin, not too worried about hurting him physically. Tears slipped out from under his shades, which he quickly wiped away.

I kissed him softly. "I know I do dangerous things and that angel is watching me, but so are you. And that is how I can be sure I'll be okay." I did something I've only done with him since Dad died.

I smiled down at him before I ducked my head to kiss him again, a little harder. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me on top of him. A small squeak left my mouth as he did this, my legs slipping to either side of his waist.

He pulled me to lay against his chest lightly, kissing the top of my head. "Karkat, I know we just kinda got togehter, but I've felt like this for a while. I really hope this doesn't freak you out, but..." He took a deep breath, his chest raising, taking me with it. "Karkat, I love you."

My heart all but stopped as he said that. I looked up at him "Dave... I-" His lips cut me off.

"Just. Forget I said that, okay?" He said in between kisses. I had to physically stop him, covering his mouth.

"Dave, I've been in love with you since middle school." I said quickly, a hot blush burning across my cheeks and nose, spreading to my ears. There was a strained silence.

I didn't break it. Instead, I reached up and took off his shades. There were new tears forming in his eyes. "I love you, Dave Strider, my demon boyfriend." I said softly, still wary of how much noise we were makinging.

With a quick glance at the clock, I saw that it was almost time for tonight's hunt. Kankri would be leaving and we'd be alone. Dave's eyes followed mine and he sighed softly. "Are you hunting tonight?" He asked softly.

"No." I breathed. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now." I said honestly, A moment later, the front door shut. After a minute of straining my senses, I heard noting in the other rooms. "My brother's gone now." I said, my voice back to my normal volume.

Dave smiled, putting his hands on my hips. "My cousin will be watching over your group tonight. I told her that I was going to be here with you." He said, pulling me into a sweet kiss.


	8. Chapter 7

"Huh?" I asked blankly. "How? You just found out I'd be here tonight." I said stupidly. He grinned and cupped my face, his hands so warm I almost melted in them.

If I hadn't been watching his mouth with half lidded eyes, I would have sworn he spoke aloud. 'Like this. I told you I have mad mind skills.' He smiled as I gasped. "Relax. It comes with the blood." He kissed me again, longer than any we've shared.

My heart was racing by the time he pulled away, and I didn't want it to end. He started to smile softly at me before my lips were on his again. Under me, his chest was vibrating. Almost like he was...purring?

I pulled back and placed my hand on his chest, feeling it. He blushed slightly as I lowered my face to his neck, pressing my ear to his collarbone. It stopped a moment before he spoke softly. "Karkat?" He asked, the purr coming back after a second.

"Are...are you purring?" I asked softly, looking up at him. His entire face went beet red and he looked away.

"It's...yeah. It's a demon thing. When we're happy or excited, we kinda purr." He closed his eyes. I smiled and put my ear back to his collarbone, stroking his cheek lightly.

The purr came back in broken spurts before it became solid. His hands slipped under my shirt. "So...which are you?" I asked softly, tingles running up and down my spine.

It stopped for a second as he spoke. "Both." He breathed, rubbing my back lightly, his fingers trailing over a spot that made me jump and mewl quietly in pleasure. "Well now, what was that?" He grins, his fingers pausing there to circle his fingers lighty over that same spot.

I twitched for a second before I was able to catch his hand, my face burning hot. "Dave..." I sighed, unable to hold it back. He smiled down at me, kissing my hand and wrist.

"Sorry babe. I just can't help it when you're on top of me." He smiles softly, the purr getting louder. I kissed him again, letting his hand go back to that spot.

My heart was racing as he slowly returned to circling his fingers over that spot, making a soft moan raise in the back of my throat. I pulled back with a gasp as he pressed me tighter to him, desperate for air.

"Just let me know if I go too far." He said softly, raising his hands in front of his face. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. If at any point you want me to stop, tell me." I blushed harder and nodded.


	9. Chapter 8

His hand returned to my back before he started tracing his fingers over that spot again. Not sure what made me do this, I met his eyes, twitching and biting my lip on a moan as he lightly scratched over the spot.

I let his free hand slip into my hair and pull me into a hot kiss, my own hands wandering up his sides under his shirt as we kissed. It wasn't until I felt the raised lines on his skin did I have a mental question as to what exactly was under the soft fabric of his shirt.

"C-can I?" I asked, lifting the shirt a bit on his torso. He nodded, kissing my neck as I lifted up and pulled the shirt over his head, tossing it toward my closet. Even in my dimly lit room, I could see the dark black tattoos running along his skin, curling around his waist and up to his shoulders.

My fingers traced over them lightly, making him shiver and grip my shoulders. I smiled at him and dipped down to lightly lick the curling tattoo on his shoulder, gaining a gasping moan from him.

His hands moved from my shoulders to the sheets and the back of my shirt, fisting both. "Karkat, can I?" He asked, another shiver rocking him as I traced and licked the tattoos.

"Mhmm..." I breathed softly, not stopping as he pulled my shirt up, trading my hands and mouth when he pulled it off in those places. He ran his hands along my skin, making me smile and kiss that line I was tracing with my tongue.

"K-Karkat, I don't really think you know what that's doing to m-me!" He gasped, his hand covering his mouth as I kissed the line, a muffled moan slipping through his fingers. I smiled and kissed along the line before his hands caught my face, not letting me continue. "Karkat, you are turning me on like crazy right now." He panted, his face, neck and chest dusted red with a blush.

"I had no Idea." I smiled sarcastically, keeping my eyes locked on his as I stuck my tonuge out and traced the line a bit more from where he held me. His eyes rolled back slightly, his breath hitching slightly.

"Fuck Karkat." He pulled me into a kiss and flipped us, hovering over me. I huffed as I was put on my back, but it was swallowed up by his lips. I gasped as his tongue traced my lips lightly, slipping past them as they parted.

All I noticed aside from the strange stabbing pleasure was that he tasted sweet. Almost like candy... My arms wrapped around his neck as I kissed him back, letting him take control of everything.

His hands slid down my sides, stopping at my hips. I'm not sure what he did exactly, but he was suddenly pressed against me in a totally different way, one I've only ever felt when I touched myself. I gasped into his mouth, a groan falling off my lips. "Dave fuck..." I felt my cheeks and ears turning red, but I didn't care.

I lifted my hips, wanting to get that friction again, moaning as his hips pressed into mine, his excitement rubbing against mine through our pants as his purr returned. "My name is hot in your mouth." I moaned as he said that, his lips pressing to my neck and collarbone.

He cirlced his hips against mine for a few minutes, kissing my skin the whole time. When I couldn't take it anymore, I grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back t my face, kissing him messily.

His tongue met mine as his fingers traced the waist of my jeans, making my hips twitch up into his touch. "Dave...please..."I moaned between kisses. He nodded, his hands moving.

I heard the small clinking of him undoing my pants and zipper, releasing me from the tight, almost painful pressure that my pants had made. I shivered as he kissed my jawline and neck, starting down my neck, stopping at my shoudler.

"Let me know if you don't like this, okay?" He asks softly and I nod quickly, my hands slipping into his hair, tugging slightly. He placed a scorching kiss on my shoulder, making me shiver. It wasn't until I felt the pinch and sting did I realize he was leaving a mark on me.

I moaned loudly, liking the pain it caused. It was weird, but I...I really liked it. Am I one of those people who like pain? "Dave fuck!" I gasped as he made it even better, his tongue flicking over the mark he'd made, my hands now fisting and pulling at his hair.

He looked at me, the panting, saking mess I was and smiled. "I love you." He kissed my neck again. "Did you like that?" He asked softly his fingers brushing my chest.

I nodded quickly, unable to speak, only feel him doing this things. "So I can do more?" I heard the smile in his voice and nodded again. "Okay." He kissed down my neck and to my chest, leaving marks where he wanted.

He didn't seem to mind my hands in his hair, because he didn't move them as he continued to kiss and lick and suck down my chest. It wasn't until he reached my hip bone did I notice how far he'd gone.

His lips sucked wonderfully at my hip bone, making me twitch them up slightly and moan as he licked the sensitive skin. "Dave I-" I was cut off, gasping as he kissed my erection through my boxers.

I couldn't stop myself from bucking my hips up, making him laugh almost darkly. The sound sent a chill up my spine and goosebumps rose along my arms and legs. "Sorry." I breathed this, nervous as to what he was going to do if I acted odd.

"It's okay. I was just wondering how far you wanted this to go." He smiled up at me, his eyes bright with a teasing light.

"I...I don't know." I said softly, my mind screaming at me to stop now before things got out of hand. But my body was obviously wanting him to continue. There was no arguing that.

Especially not when he kissed at my erection again, this time dragging his nose along the lenght of it through my underwear, making me groan and tighten my grip on him. He did this for a few more seconds before I couldn't stand it. "Dave. I..." I blushed, not sure how to say this. "I want you to..." I couldn't say it!

"Hmmm?" He purred, continuing to nuzzle and kiss me thought my boxers. I mewled and thrust my hips slightly again, making him laugh again. "You want me to suck you baby?"

As he said it, my whole face and neck was lit on fire by the blush and I was unable to speak, only able to buck my hips as he now rubbed me with his cheek. He took that as an answer, his fingers hooking in the waist band of my boxers.

He met my eyes as he slowly pulled them down, teasing as he did so. Once I was free of my underwear, I took a shaky breath.

Nobody outside of my immediate family has ever seen me naked, let alone like this. But, when he dragged his tongue up the underside of my erection, all my worry vanished and was replaced by a thick fog that clouded my mind.

All I could focus on was Dave, and I'm sure he liked that, because he licked my length a couple more times before he took me into his mouth, making me thrust at the new feeling.

To my shock, he didn't gag. Kankri gagged just brushing his teeth. And it felt so fucking good! "Ngh...Dave..." Was all I could get out.

He did something, making me almost scream. "Fuck! Dave...So good!" I huffed, my hands in his hair now.

And, all too soon, he pulled off, making literal tears sting my eyes. "W-wha?" I asked brilliantly.

He smiled. "Do you want to do anything else, or do you want me to suck you off?" I felt like I was on fire, my mind melting.

"F-fuck me Dave. I want you in me." I pulled him to me by his hair gently, kissing him hard. "I want you to be my first." I breathed softly, kissing him again.

He froze for a moment. "Y-your first?" He asked softly, a blush finally creeping to his pale cheeks. I nodded, meeting his eyes. After a moment of silence, he kissed me. "Okay. I'll go slow. And again, if you want to stop, just let me know." He kissed my neck as he dug into his pocket.

From it, he pulled a small travel bottle. "Not like I knew, but Strider rules. Never leave home without it." He sat it next to us. "Lube." I said softly as I opened my mouth to ask.

A small squeak of embarassment slipped out of me as he said it. He slipped down me, placing himself between my legs once more.

There was a small snap and he was placing kisses along my thighs, making me sigh and groan softly as he got close to my aching cock again. Something long and thin slipped in me, making me gasp at the surprise. "Just relax. I'll take care of you." He purred, slowly moving what I assumed was his finger in me.

It didn't feel bad just...different. As he fingered me, it felt like he was looking for something. After a long moment of me getting used to the feeling of something in me, he did _something_ that made my vision blur and a small scream come out of my mouth.

"W-what was that?!" I gasped, looking down at him. He just smiled and did it again, adding another finger as he did. It stung a little, but I barely noticed. He started to scissor into me, making my back arch every time he hit that spot. "D-Dave fuck I can't take much more of this." I breathed, gripping his shoulders.

"Okay. Okay." He smiled and nodded. "I was having fun. But this'll be better." He sat up and took off his pants.

I blushed as I realized he hand no underwear on. He was fully hard and he was huge. Easily an inch longer than me and much wider.

The more I tried to look away, the harder it was to do so. So I just watched him as he squirted some lube onto himself and pumped himself to even it out. It wasn't until he hovered over me did my mind catch up with me.


	10. Chapter 9

This is actually happening. I was going to lose my virginity to Dave. And that made me happy. "Ready?" He breathed, his hair tickling my cheek. I nodded and he slowly pressed his head into me, making me jump slightly before I held still for him.

He pressed soft kisses to my neck, jaw and face, keeping me distracted as he slowly bottomed out in me. Once he was all the way in, I sighed, relaxing slowly.

The whole time, Dave kissed me, trying to keep any pain off of my mind. Once I'd adjusted to his size, I wrapped my legs around his hips and nodded. "N-now. Please now." I breathed, blushing like crazy.

His hands fell to my hips, holding them in place as he slowly pulled out and thrust back in, his body angling to hit in a different place inside of me. He was looking for that spot again, and I knew it this time.

I covered my scream with my fist when he found it, making him smile and adjust himself so he could hit it over and over. "Mphf!" I moaned and moved my fist, pulling him into a kiss. He didn't stop thrusting into me _or_ stop hitting that spot.

"F-fuck Dave..." He was purring again, louder than before. "B-bite me." I breathed. "Scratch me. Fuck anything! 'm so close!" I said without thinking.

He didn't hesitate, his lips falling to my collarbone instantly as his nails dug into my hips. I moaned as he sucked on the point he'd chosen before he bit down, easily breaking my skin with his fangs as he thrust into me even harder.

That pushed me over the edge and I finished with a loud moan of his name. Almost in time with me, his back arched and he came in me, the feeling making me mewl quietly.

He collapsed over me, licking the bite he'd made in my skin. "Sorry. DIdn't mean to break the skin." He kissed the spot softly. I shook my head.

"I liked it." I panted and hissed as he pulled out of me. He laid next to me in my bed, pulling me so that I was half laying on his chest. His hand was rubbing lightly at the small of my back where it was already starting to feel bruised.

"Oh." He huffed. "Still." He said softly. "I...didn't know you were into kinky stuff like biting and pain, babe." He said as he nuzzled my neck.

"I didn't either, really." I said, laughing stupidly. "But it was really nice." I smiled and kissed his forehead. "Did you want to stay the night? Kankri would flip his shit if he found a guy in my room and my just fucked self with hickeys and naked in his arms. But if you go before he gets up, we should be fine."

"I don't want to get you in trouble with Kankri." He said softly, kissing my neck lightly. "But I don't want to leave yet. Maybe after some cuddles." He wrapped his arms around me and burrowed his head into the small space between my head and my shoulder, purring as he fell asleep.

I pet his hair as he slept, my own tiredness creeping in on me. As I was on the verge of sleep, my free hand moved to where he'd bit me, a smile on my face.

Until I remembered what John had said about him biting me. Was I really his now? Forever? I looked at him, his face peaceful in his sleep.

If it was true, I would get used to it. Hell, I'd probably be happy with him forever. I put my arm around his shoulder and stared at my ceiling, not sure what to do with myself. I wasn't used to actually sleeping at night, so my body didn't know what to do.

So I pulled my fingers through Dave's hair and stroked his cheeks and ran my fingers over his nose and lips. It was so nice to see him so at peace like this. I kissed him softly and moved slightly so that I was on my side facing him.

His breath was soft and warm against my neck, and, when I pulled him closer to me, he snuggled up like a puppy. I smiled and kissed his forehead softly.

"I love you." I breath softly.

"Love you too." He purred in his sleep. I smiled and, finally, drifted off into a light sleep next to him.


	11. Chapter 10

When I woke up not an hour later, Dave was still asleep. I smiled and kissed his forehead before I (stupidly) stretched. A sharp, stabbing pain rang out through my hips and I jumped, my gasp making Dave wake up. "What's wrong?" He asked, his eyes flying open.

Tears stung my eyes and I blinked them away quickly, not wanting Dave to see them and worry. I shook my head and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Karkat, baby." He took my face in his hands and look at him.

"It's nothing, really. Just my back." I said through clenched teeth. His face fell and he moved his hands to the exact point where the pain was and the heat from his hands started to melt the pain away.

I sighed, resting my hand head in the crook of his neck. He rubbed softly, his thumbs smoothing small circles into my skin...It almost put me back to sleep at how good it felt.

"Dave." I sighed his name, and it felt so right. "Dave, we should probably stay awake." I said as he kissed along my neck. He froze. "Dave? What's wrong?"

He continued to say nothing, only took my chin in his hand and turned my head slightly, exposing my neck further to his red eyes. "Dave please, you're kind of scaring me right fucking now." I said, my pulse speeding.

"I-I..." He stuttered before he let out a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry Karkat!" He said suddenly, his eyes gleaming with tears. "Please don't hate me. I didn't mean to mark you like that, I swear. The hickeys and stuff were intended, but not this..." His voice died out slowly as his air supply ran low.

"Huh?" I touched my neck, feeling the place his fangs had broken my skin, a soft blush dusting my cheeks as I met his tear filled eyes. "I _asked_ you to bite me, remember?" I cupped his face and kissed him softly. "It's okay, Dave. I still love you." I said, kissing everywhere I could reach of him.

"It's not just the bite, Karkat. I _marked_ you. You won't be the same now. _We _won't be the same." He said, grabbing my hand, his fingers twining with mine. "It's not a totally...bad thing. It's just..." He let out a sharp breath. "It's like a human marriage. Only it's a soild thing. No divorce. You're stuck with my dumbass forever."

I sighed. "I already knew that, Dave." I pet his hair, a purr coming on after a couple moments of petting. "I felt it right as it happened. And...I'm okay with it. I really am." He looked at me, his eyes guarded with a shread of hope in the very back.

"Really?" He got up, leaving me to let my hands slide down his toned, naked chest and bounce on the bed. The light of my desk lamp lit the room and I could see him totally now. He grabbed the small mirror from my desk and brought it over to me.

He didn't seem angry or upset, just guarded and nervous. As he sat on the edge of the bed, he grabbed his pants and my underwear, handing me the mirror and the latter.

I looked at my reflection. My cheeks were a deep pink from the blush that was caused when he handed me my underwear. My bags were less prominate in my face (probably from the combined hours I've slept in the last couple days) and my hair was sticking up in random places, worse than usual.

Then I saw it. In the very corner of the mirror, I saw a small flicker of bright red. I tilted the mirror to look at it, thinking it was blood on my skin.

What I saw almost scared me, but a small shiver of excitement ran up and down my spine, throwing away any trace of fear. There, against the pale, snowy skin of my collarbone, was a bright red symbol, much like the tattoo Dave had on his forearm.

It was the color of his eyes, which made me want to smile, the symbol itself looking ancient. I knew it was probably demon related. "That's the family crest. It's also a seal. You are the only one who has ever received one of these aside from my aunt-in-law and is still alive." He stroked my cheek. "The color is the same as my eyes for a reason. In the old days, it was like a claim of ownership. Like a collar.

Demons would bite their human consort on the neck as a sign of 'this is mine touch it and die'. That was still when my family was into the whole soul hunting aspect of the world, so they would mark their prey." I noticed he didn't say 'we'. "And kill any demon who got close. Now it's still a sign of 'touch this and die', but to a much less of an extant. Think of it like a protection from other demons.

They see that, know who's it is, and turn tail and run. Mostly because our crest is so well known and the demons around here all kinda think of us like the leaders and-" He noticed he was babbling. "Not bragging or anything. Just saying if anyone is stupid enough to try to hurt you, I'll know. And they'll die."

He paused for a long moment before he said, matter-of-factly, something that disturbed me greatly. "And it will be red forever. The only time it won't be the same color is if I were to die. Then you'd be free. The mark will stay though. It's a never ending protection that demons only put on someone they really, truely love. Well, now, anyway." I shuttered, which he felt with his hand on my cheek.

"I don't want you to die." I kissed his wrist and leaned into his touch, my whole being downtroden with unbearable sadness at the thought of him not being with me. He stayed silent. "Promise me you won't die, Dave." I said, my voice serious.

"I promise I won't die. Anytime soon at least. I know that for sure." He kissed me softly before he stood and pulled his pants on. I pulled on my boxers and looked around. Kankri was still hunting. It was only nearly two. We still had a good three hours before he'd be back up here.

"Stay a little longer?" I asked, taking his hand in mine a moment before he sat back down, kissing me again. He pulled his pants on afterwards.


	12. Chapter 11

"Like I want to go? If your brother wouldn't flip every shit he had if he found us together, I would stay here and cuddle you all the time." He grinned. "My ass was just getting cold. And I know you don't sleep naked."

I blushed harder and pushed him slightly so that he was laying back aganist my mound of pillows once again, laying my head on his chest. "We still have a couple hours before Kankri gets home, and I intend to spend them with you, right here." He said, putting his arm around me.

"Huh?" I glanced at the time on my phone and saw that he was right. "How'd you know that?" I asked, my mind slow from everything he'd told me about my mark.

"I _have_ been following you for a while, dear." He smiled and kissed my hair softly. "I know your hunting routine like the back of my hand. The only things that change are who you go with and what exactly you do."

"S-so you saw us take out all those demons the other night?" I asked softly, nervous to hear his answer.

"Yes, I saw everything. I was ready to jump in, but you guys didn't need it. Thankfully they were the weaker part of the Fellows clan. Sadly, the living Fellows will want t get revenger. And they are much stronger. I doubt the head of the clan will come after you, though. Even I can't kill him without my secret power." He lifted his arm slightly, his skin still slightly singed, something I hadn't noticed before.

His voice sounded strained, which made me worry. "Why would they come after us?" I asked softly. All we'd done was protect ourselves...after we'd egged them on to follow and attack us...

"They just can't jump on it like it's nothing. They have to get permission from my oldest brother. But, if Bro gives them permission to hunt you down, the only way to stop them is to kill them. You'll be safe, but I don't know about your buddies." I shivered at the harsh edge in his voice.

"Isn't there anything I can do?" I asked, not sure if he'd have an answer. He was silent for a moment and I bit at the dry skin on my lips nervously.

"We might be able to talk to Bro about it. Tell him they attacked you first and it was self defense." He said, his voice measured. He knew it was a lie. "The Fellows are kind of a nasty clan who want to keep things the way they were centuries ago, when the human killing was overlooked and even thought of as a game.

Bro is the only person who can stop them, Unless they ask Dirk for his permisson, but he'll send them to Bro or me. He never deals with anything like that." I nodded. "I'll make you a list of my family here soon, so you won't be as confused. But, shortly, I have two half sisters, and two brothers. Three, at one point, but one was dead before I could walk." He sighed.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, cupping his cheek lightly.

"It's okay, really. D was kind of reckless and got killed. It's no big deal." He shrugged. "But..." He looked over me to my clock. "If you want, we can go talk to Bro tonight? He never sleeps, really. Kinda like you." He smiled and kissed my nose.

"R-really?" I'd never met Dave's family. Any of them. Whenever the subject would come up, he avoided it like the plague. Even when confrences would roll around, no Striders were present. Ever.

"Yeah." He sat up. "I'll be with you the whole time. You'll be safe. I swear." He said, his voice serious.

I sat up next to him, staring at our joined hands. "What if someone sees us?" I asked softly. He laughed, making the bed shake slightly.

"Nobody will. We can go through the window. And you can lock your door so Kankri won't be able to come in." I stared at him.

"W-window?!" I gasped. He nodded and pointed to my window. It was always locked with the curtains shut tight.

"It's no big deal. I jumped to the top od a sky scraper earier today, babe. You'll be safe. We'll take the roof tops to avoid people on the ground to my place." He said, taking my free hand in his as he spoke, making me feel slightly better.

"O-okay." I stuttered, still nervous as hell. He kissed me softly, his heat sinking into me again. It was nice.

"You might want to put some clothes on though. Something that'll show the mark, if you have it." He stood up, pulling me to my feet. I handed him his shirt brushing my fingers over his tattoos again.

He shivered and pulled his shirt on quickly before he put his shades on his head. I got dressed, wary of moving in an awkward way that might make ym back hurt again and was shocked that no matter how I moved, I felt fine. Normal.

My nerves built to the point to where I was almost vomiting when Dave put his arms around me from behind. "Relax. Bro already knows all about you. Even the hunter bit."

I gasped and looked up at him. "And he doesn't want to kill me?" I asked, instantly wanting to stay far away from the Strider home.

"Nope. He never does anything to pss hunters off anymore so it's nothing to him. Kind of how you wouldn't think twice about flies." He shrugged. I nodded but felt a little hurt that he thought of hunters as flies. "Harmless, but annoying enough to notice." He said softly, making me look at him with hurt eyes. "That's what D always said, so I've been told. Look where he is now." He shrugged again.

"Dave..." I bit my lip. "Do you think they'll like me?" I asked softly, ducking my head.

"Rose and Roxy have followed you with me before. They already like you. And they're the hard ones to please." He pulled me back against him. "He'll love you. You're part of the family now, Karkat." He kissed the top of my head and I instantly felt better.

"Let's go. Before I change my mind again." I said, standing up straighter. He smiled and locked my door before he moved to the window. I took his hand, trusting him totally.

It was about all I can do. For my Dave...


	13. Chapter 12

He lifted me easily enough, craddling me in his arms bridal style. My face burned again. Until he stepped out on to the edge of my small window, closing it behind us somehow.

The closest building was across the street and three stories taller than this. If he missed, we'd both be dead. But, the next thing I knew, we were already flying far over the traffic _past_ the building I'd assumed he'd go for.

We landed on one much taller and a block away... I stared up at the night sky, the light polution too heavy to see actual stars. But I saw the moon just behind Dave's head, highlighting his pointed ears and blond hair.

He really was handsome, even for a demon. I've always thought so, too. But now...It was more obvious. Was it because he's a full fledged demon now?

When he stopped, I looked around. We weren't too high up, level with tree tops and light poles, all of which had broken bulbs. Then I knew we were in his neighborhood. He sat me on my feet and took my hand, leading me to a door on the roof.

A moment before we reached the door, it opened, a pale faced demon woman behind it. "Welcome home, master." She said softly, ducking her head and stepping aside as we got clsoer.

She plastered herself against the wall, giving us more than enough room to come in before she shut the door and moved to stand in front of it. I noticed she wore a thick iron collar and a dark, holey dress. Dave led me down the stairs into the main building.

Instead of the apartments I'd been expecting, it was like a huge hotel, several stories higher than outside would indicate. Dave looked down at the bottom and smiled.

As I was about to look over, he pushed me behind as a gleam of metal shot past us, lodging itself in the wall behind us. It was a...sword?! Dave smirked and pulled it out of the wall before he wrapped his arm around my waist, and, scaring the shit out of me, dove down over the edge.

He landed on his feet, me in his arms. Standing in front of us was a tall blond in a white shirt and black pants, a pair of pointed shades and a hat on his head.

"Sup lil man?" He asked as Dave handed the sword to him.

"Not much. Karkat and I were wondering if we could talk to you alone?" He asked, sitting me on my feet and taking me hand.

"So you're the boy my lil brother's been fawning over for years now, huh?" The tall demon smiled, exposing his huge fangs. "Well I'll be damned! Shoot course y'all can talk with me. Let's go to our suite." He motioned for us to follow him.

Dave squeezed my hand lightly and we followed him. He opened a door and went inside, leaving it open for us. The room we walked into was HUGE. Possibly bigger than my whole apartment. And there were doors leading off of it, too.

The tall demon sat back in an arm chair that looked more like a throne to me and crossed his legs. Dave pulled me to sit on one of the leather couches beside him.

"Sup?" The door shut as he spoke, making me jump. "Relax, lil dude. Nobody is dumb enough to hurt someone with that." He pointed to my neck. "So, what's wrong? I know this isn't a meet the parents type of thing."

"Yeah no. Karkat and his friends are in a bit of a pickle." Dave started, keeping my hand in his the whole time. "They were attacked by the weaker Fellows and now the others want revenge." THe tall demon's brow furrowed and he took off his glasses, exposing burning orange eyes.

"You survived a Fellows attack?" He asked, his voice incrediolous.

"M-my friends and I did, yeah." I said, trying to sound confident. It came out as a strangled whisper. Fuck.

"There were nearly thirty of them and they took them all out." Dave said for me. "And there was only a few hunters."

"Yeeehaw! Hot damn boy!" He slapped his knee. "Y'all must be some good fighters! Maybe you an me can strife sometime!" He grinned at me, his eyes bright.

Dave seemed much more relaxed now. _Told ya he'd like you babe. _He whispered in my mind. I smiled slightly at that. "But Bro, they're going to come and try to get permission to kill them from you. You know that."

"Of course I do. And I won't give them permission to harm any humans, weither they deserve it or not." His voice was deeper, the accent less noticable as he spoke now. "Karkat Vantas, you, your family and your friends have been granted the protection of the Strider name."

He stood up and came to stand in front of me and Dave. Dave pulled me to my feet. _Don't be scared and don't freak out. It'll be okay and I'm right here. _Dave's voice in my head made a small jolt of panic run through me.

His brother placed his hands on my shoulders and leaned down. I shivered as he got closer, his eyes burning brightly into mine. And then, to my total fucking shock, he kissed me.

And Dave was letting it happen! "Mphf!" I gasped and tried to move away, but the older Strider's gtip on me was too strong.

His lips were soft and rough at the same time, unlike Dave's, whose were soft and warm and felt nice against mine. Bro's almost felt like a cat's tongue someone had put lotion on.

My mark started to tingle and, unable to break away from Bro, I looked to Dave, who was watching with his teeth firmly between his lips, his fangs piercing him a bit. Though I hated to admit it, the kiss with his brother was slightly turning me on, but not in a way that made much sense to me.

Maybe because I'd much rather be kissing Dave? The thought had barely formed in my mind when Bro let go of me and pulled away with a small grin. Dave was instantly on me, cupping my face in his hands as he kissed me hard.

I whined, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him further into the kiss. Moments later, the door opened, another demon woman wearing a collar and black dress standing there, her head bowed and her hands clasped firmly in front of her.

"M-masters. Forgive my intrusion, but-" She gasped and her arm flew to her shoulder, which was quickly becoming bloody. She pulled a shard of glass out of her arm and wiped it on her dress before continuing. "But Mistress Rose has returned. As well as Mistress Roxy and Master Dirk." She said softly, moving to where Bro had sat down.

From the table next to him, she gathered the rest of a broken glass object with her hands, one still covered in the blood that was dripping down and onto her dress, leaving darker marks on the faded black. Once she was gone, Bro sighed. "Fucking slaves."

I bit my lip hard as Dave pulled me to sit in his lap. Three other blond demons walked in, two girls and one guy. The guy moved to sit on the opposite end of the couch from us as the girls plopped between us.

The one with longer hair reeked of liquor, and the other had a familiar face. "Karkat, these are me siblings. Dirk is on the end and Roxy is next to him." Dirk simply nodded his head in acknowledgement and Roxy grinned and waved. "And this is Rose. She was following your friends tonight."

"Yes. I'm rather protective of one of them in particular. She's very beautiful and she seems like she would be fun to talk with." She tapped her chin. "I believe her name is Kanaya." She looked at me.

"Oh." I nodded. "Short black hair, always has makeup on?" She nodded. "Yeah, that's her." I sighed. "She's like a sister mom thing to me." I leaned into Dave.

Rose smiled. "Sister mom thing?" She raised her eyebrow. "That sounds nice." She sat back, resting her hand on Roxy's leg lightly.

"My man got snatched by an angel." Dirk said bitterly, making me flinch and my mind go to John. Bro snorted.

"Oh please. English was hardly yours, Dirk. Hunting a hunter makes him your prey, not your boyfriend." I looked from Bro to Dirk.

"You mean Jake English?" I asked nervous for him. "What do you mean he got snatched by an angel?" I sat up straighter on Dave's lap.

"Yeah. Freaking Egbert swooped in and told him that I'd been following him and now he's watching him like a hawk." I frowned at the mention of John, but at least Jake was still alive. And himself.

"That Egbert is going to screw us all up sooner or later, Dirky. He got to my Janey, too." Roxy sighed, crossing her arms.

"Jane Crocker?" Why was John collecting hunters? Especially ones I know? Was he going to go after my friends?

"Yeah." Roxy nodded. "I swear if he dumps an angel into her and kills her, I'll rip out all his feathers and snap his wings off of his back before I kill him." Her eyes started to glow until Dirk patted her hair.

"How do you think I feel? Dadbert was my main man and now that feather fuck is here I can't get close to him." I did a double take at Bro. "Yeah, John's Dad and I hook up. Or used to." He sighed.


	14. Chapter 13

I was learning way too much WAY too fast for my taste. Dave suddenly stood up and pulled me to my feet. "I'll be back." He said to everyone as he lead me out of the room.

"What's wrong?" I whispered to him as he shut the door. He grinned at me.

"Nothing's wrong." He kissed my forehead. "I just have to get you home. It's nearly dawn." I gasped and looked aound for a window to confirm his statement.

There was none. "This building is dug several stories into the ground. It's a demon's paradise." He sighed happily and looped an arm around my waist as we walked. "This floor is basically where my family lives. Aside from my Aunts and cousin." He shrugged.

He suddenly moved quickly to the right, spinning me so that I was behind him. There was a loud snarl and Dave's arm wrapped around me behind his back. I looked around his shoulder to see two demons, one chasing the other as they fought. "Shouldn't you stop them?" I asked softly.

"Nah. That's what keeps the less powerful ones from killing humans. We let out our aggression on each other, mostly the slaves and the weakest demons. It's no big deal, really. We heal quickly and don't feel too much pain from superfacial injuires." There was a shriek and suddenly the demon who'd been running was on the floor, clutching at his stomach.

Blood spilled out from his fingers as I noticed the collar on him. He looked at Dave and instantly got up, still holding his bleeding stomach, and bowed low to the ground, his nose almost brushing the floor.

His blood dripped onto the floor under him and his face was much too pale. "Clean that up once you can." Dave said, not moving to help the demon.

The demon slave simply nodded and breathed a soft 'Yes Master Dave' through clenched teeth. He was losing so much blood it wasn't funny. I moved around Dave, who tried to stop me.

I shook off his hand and gave him a look that he knew well. It was one I'd shown him many times. It was a look that said he could trust me.

He nodded and stood straighter, his eyes laser-focused on me and the other demon. As I got close, I saw that the demon was shaking. From pain or from fear, I wasn't sure. "Here." I touched his shoulder lightly, making him jump. "Stand up and let me see that."

True to the word slave, he instantly straightened and moved his hand away from the bleeding mark in his skin. It was deep. Much to deep to be considered 'superfacial', as Dave had put it.

It looked like claw marks in his skin, honestly. The flesh was ripped away and left to gape and bleed. I looked at Dave, who came closer. The demon stepped back slightly and started to bow, but lost his balance.

If I hadn't caught him, his face would have been smashed against the hard stone of the floor below our feet. Dave helped me lower him to the floor and lay him back. "Don't scream." Dave said softly, rolling his sleeves up as he spoke.

A moment later, he placed his hand over the center of the wound. It seemed to sizzle and smoke slightly as the demon covered his mouth with a small whimper. I took his hand in mine and held it, not sure what else I could do.

Suddenly his eyes went glassy and his back arched, a scream covered by his other hand. He relaxed, panting and shaking, onto the floor as Dave moved his hand away. The wound was almost totally healed, only three pink scars there to prove that he'd been hurt in the first place.

"T-thank you, M-m-master Dave." He whispered, swallowing hard as he shook and looked at me. "Thank you." He whispered, his eye fluttering shut.

Dave said nothing, only helped me to my feet. He unrolled his sleeves and wrapped his arm around my waist again, this time jumping up to the top floor easily. He was too quiet as we left the building and stepped into the cool morning air thick with morning dew.

"Hey." I breathed as he hopped to a building far off. "I'm sorry if I did something wrong. I just don't like seeing anyone suffering pointlessly." He stopped and looked at me. "He would have died if you hadn't done that, right?"

"Yeah, he'd be dead by now." He sighed, tipping his head back so his breath fogged in the air in front of him. "And it wasn't wrong, just not normal. Showing that kind of concern for a slave isn't something demons do. The slaves are the lowest demons, without a doubt."

"I don't like the idea of you owning slaves, Dave. And I really don't like that you guys just treat them like they're disposable. They're _alive_." I knew I was probably beating a dead horse, but I had to speak my mind. "They take care of you and the other demons and you guys don't try to take care of them. It doesn't matter how low the other demons think they are. They're still your kind and your family." I felt the tears in my eyes.

They were angry tears. I swiped my sleeved arm roughly over my eyes and looked at my silent Dave. He was frowning, his brow furrowed. He knew nothing about what had happened to my dad. Nobody aside Kankri knew.

But still, the thought of your own kind turning on you made me sick. Then I remembered that if the other hunters knew what all has happened this last week, they'd probably kick me out...or worse.

Shaking that from my mind, I focused on Dave and the issue. His brow was still furrowed and his frown was still in place, but now his hand was under his chin, like he was deep in thought, but hw still said nothing.

"Dave, I'm serious. I don't like it. The slave owner part _or_ the treating them like total shit part. The last makes me really uncomfortable. If you treat your own kind like that, how do I know you'll treat me well later on, a weak human?"

That got a reaction out of him. His arm dropped as fast as his jaw. "Karkat, do you really think I would confess my love to you and then turn my back on you?" He looked hurt. "I would never hurt you like that. Ever." He put his hands on my shoulders and I felt the mark, _his _mark tingle on my skin as he looked into my eyes. "You know I would never raise a hand to you in anger. Ever. Not even if you asked me to."

I felt stupid for a moment, part of my mind confirming what he said was true as the other was lost in his stunning red eyes. He felt me shiver roughly; there was no way I was going to hide it with his hands on me.

His lips met mine softly, and I realized I'd shut my eyes. I kissed him back softly, not sure what was going through his head at the moment. When he pulled back, he rested his forhead against mine.

"I'll talk to my brother about it. That's really the only old tradition we hold, and I know it makes Rose and Roxy a bit uncomfortable too. Their mom kinda raised them like humans while Dirk and I were raised by Bro, mostly. And Bro is...well Bro." He shrugged.

"Thank you." I breathed, a smile pulling at my lips. I kissed his nose lightly before he pulled away, the sky turning light behind him as daybreak hit.

"We need to get you home." He turned around in front of me, crouching on his knees. "Get on. It'll be faster this way." He smiled at me over his shoulder.

I stared for a moment before I got on his back. He stood up was I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and legs around his waist. I buried my face in his sweet smelling blond hair until he turned his head. "Look." He whispered.

At his voice, I opened my eyes. We were flying from root top to roof top, his feet barely making contact before we were flying again. It was scary as fuck yet oddly...fun. Suddenly he stopped and turned around.

Across from us on the roof top was someone I didn't want to see. "It seems my warning did not get through to you." John's voice drifted to us.


	15. Chapter 14

"Feather fuck." Dave said in a toneless voice. I shivered and he put me down. John didn't even blink.

"Demon scum." He said sweetly, like it was a simple greeting. Dave snarled and stooped so I could get off his back.

I climbed off and stood at his side. "What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep my cool. Suddenly, John was right in front of me, his cold hand cupping my cheek.

"You do not deserve to be called a hunter anymore, dear child. You have been marked by scum." He said sweetly, making me shiver. Dave stiffened and I could tell he was resisting the urge to slice open John for touching me.

I slapped his hand away and, in a fluid, practiced movement, had my knife pressed to his throat. "Touch me again murderer. Give me an excuse." I snarled.

Actual fear flitted across his too blue eyes and he went still. "I may not be a demon hunter anymore, but what's stopping me from becoming an angel hunter? You're the ones wanting to turn the world into your own personal battle field. And, to top it all off, you're snatching hunters off the street."

With my knife pressed tight against his throat, John couldn't move away without cutting himself. So he stayed right where he was and spoke. "My dear, sweet child." He sighed happily. "Angels are nearly impossible to kill. As for the hunters, I am merely protecting the ones that the rest of this scum's family have taken an intrest in. I tried to protect you, but you are so stubborn that it seems it did not work."

"_Nearly_ impossible. Same as demons and I took out thirty of those just last week." I smirked, glad to see fear flicker in his eyes. "Call my mate scum again and I will not hesitate to make you first on my list." I pressed the blade harder into his skin, drawing blood.

Dave pulled me back, pinning my arms to my sides as he did. "That's enough. Karkat, honey, you can hunt this feather fuck later. I have to get you home." I didn't take my eyes off of John. "And if I hear you got close to him after this, I will personally shot you out of the sky and rip your wings off of your body with razor wire before I kill you."

The malice in Dave's voice almost made me shiver. John stayed put as Dave jumped away, me secure in his arms. When he stopped again, I spotted my window directly across from us.

He stepped off the edge of the roof and fell into my room silently. That was when he finally unpinned my arms. I wiped John's blood off of my knife on my black shirt before returning it to my boot.

I looked up at Dave, who looked stressed. "Will you be at school tomorrow?" I asked softly. He shook his head.

"No. I'm going to try to get more info on the hunters John snatched. I hope they're okay." He sighed. "Let me know right away if he does anything to you or your friends here and I'll kill him." He put his arms around me. "I know Rose likes that Kanaya girl. Stay clsoe to her at school, okay?"

I nodded and hugged him tightly. He kissed the top of my head and my cheek, making my mark tingle like it had fallen asleep. I kissed him softly as I heard the front door shut. "You should go." I whispered.

He nodded and headed to my window, stepping out of it, blowing a kiss to me. I smiled and went to shut the window once he was gone.

It closed easily and silently. I lay down in bed and touch my mark lightly under my shirt. It felt raised against my skin, but it was smooth.

A smile touched my lips as I fell asleep, breathing in Dave's scent from where he was laying next to me before. My dream was awful.

_John stood in front of me, Dave on his knees in front of him. He took Dave's head in his hands and twisted his head clean off like a bottle cap, blood splashing everywhere. That was when I heard the screams. _

_To my left, Jane was spearing Roxy through the stomach, and Roxy was crying. Jake shot Dirk right in the heart to my right_

_Kanaya was choking Rose behind me. And, to the side of John, was Dave's brother and...my dad..._

I woke up, gasping, straight into a panic attack. Though I tried to keep it quiet, my door burst open moments after it started and Kankri was in front of me, his hands on my shoulders.

It was Kankri, I know. But he looks so much like Dad did then that I thought it was him, which made it worse. "Karkat!" He snapped, slapping me across the face.

The sudden sting of his hand on my cheek snapped me out of my panic attack and I looked at him, wiping the tears away from my eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked softly, sitting on the edge of my bed.

I insantly clung to him, burying my face in his red shirt. I hadn't done this in years, but I couldn't help it. In that moment, he looked so much like Dad that I couldn't stop myself from clinging to him as I cried.

He shushed me, stroking my stinging cheek and my hair. "It's okay." He said over and over. "It's okay. I'm here. I will never leave you."

"Y-you already did!" I sobbed, still feeling like he was Dad. "You left us alone!" I choked.

"Karkat, it's me, Kankri." He soothed me. "I won't leave you like he did. I promise." I looked at him through my tears and finally saw my brother, not my Dad, smiling down at me.

"W-what if I did something bad?" I asked, sniffeling slightly as I sat up and calmed down.

"Bad how?" He asked, holding my hand.


	16. Chapter 15

I swallowed hard. "What if I told you I like boys?" He didn't react. "A demon boy." _That_ got a reaction out of him.

"What do you mean? Demons are killers and trash. As far as liking boys, you have your own path and love who you love. I won't judge you for that. I am attracted to Cronus myself, so I am in no position to judge."

"What if demons _aren't _as bad as we think? What if they wanted to coexist with humans? What then?" He was quiet for so long I didn't think he was going ot answer.

"There would have to be serious proof that demons wanted to coexist with humans for me to believe it, but, I suppose if that were to happen, I'd have to side with you. The others would think we were crazy, of course, but if there was proof, they might side with us." He paused. "This is all hypothetical, right?" He looked at me.

"Y-yeah." I'd have to talk to Dave about the whole proof thing, but I was happy that I knew there was proof and that, when I showed it to my brother, he'd still love me. That he'd even take my side.

"Okay. You have school in a couple hours. Do you feel well enough to go?" He asked, prressing the back of his hand to my forehead. "You feel a bit warm. Maybe I should keep you home today."

I nodded and lay back down. "Get some sleep, Karkat." He kissed my forehead. "I have to work later today, but I'll check on you soon."

He shut the door softly and I heard him walking away. My head really did hurt, and I felt slightly dizzy.

How was I going to get the others to believe me about the demons? What would it take?

I fell into a fitful, dreamless sleep. When I woke up, I looked at the clock. It was nearly one in the afternoon.

As I sat up and stretched, I thought about Dave. How are the other hunters? He was following them, right? Surely John couldn't be with them every second of every day.

I grabbed my phone and unlocked the screen. Dave had texted me not a minute ago. "Good moring. I love you." I smiled and another message popped up. "I'll see you in a couple minutes."

At that, I got up and headed to my bathroom. My hair was a mess, looking more like Gamzee's than I'd like to admit. Quickly, I pulled my comb through it roughly and brushed my teeth.

I looked paler than usual, which was odd. Maybe I was just comparing my skin tone to my new mark. Either way, I ran cold water over a washcloth and washed my face.

That woke me up fully. Cleaning up the bathroom, I went ot get some clothes on. I didn't want to look like I slept all day.

Right as I pulled my shirt over my head, there was a small squeak coming from the window. I turned to see Dave leaning against the window frame, half in the window and half out, straddling the seal.

He swung his legs like a kid in a tall chair, smiling at me before he took off his shades. I smiled back until I remembered where we were. "Dave!" I gasped, pulling him into my room by his hand.

The force it took for me to bring him in didn't even make him stumble as he balanced on one foot. "Well hey there." He smiled and pulled me into a hug. I took in his scent, the same that he'd left on my bed and pillows.

It was heady but nice. I smiled as he kissed the top of my head. "So..." I said softly. "Kankri's at work and anyone who'd come busting in is at school. Wanna watch movies and cuddle?" I smiled up at him.

"Sounds much better than the day I've had so far." He sighed happily, kissing me.


	17. Chapter 16

As I started a marathon of movies, Dave pulled me into his lap. We stayed like this for at lease a few hours before I realized he hadn't told me about his scouting mission. I paused the movie and looked up at him.

"So how'd it go with the hunters?" I asked sofly. He sighed and rested his head against mine.

"Not too well. They all had Michael's seal, so I couldn't get close to them. I was able to tell that they're still themselves though. No angel body snatching." He shook his head. "I don't know who's inside John, but they have to be pretty powerful to place four seals on humans."

"What's 'Michael's seal' exactly?" I asked not sure what he meant. He tightened his arms around me.

"Michael's seal was developed back in the soul hunting times by the archangel Michael. He would pluck a feather from his wing and bless it with a kiss. Then he'd give the blessed angel feather to a human, and the feather acted as a barrier to demons." He snorted. "It started when a demon fell for Michael's "soul mate"." He made quotatons in the air in front of me. "If demons are selfish, angels are the devil."

"Soul mate? Angels fall in love?" I asked softly, not wanting to upset him.

"They're fickle and only fall in love with a pretty face. But yes, they fall and hard. The more they love the human, the easier it is for them to fall from grace. Look at Lucifer." He shrugged. "Lucifer was so in love with his human that he didn't even notice that he was getting cast out. He did notice, however, when he human left him for another." He smirked. "Killed em both and sent their souls straight down stairs and now he _hates_ humans. Michael, however, didn't let it get to that point.

He kept his distance, watching over his human until the demon got too close. That is when he made the seal out of love. Had he had more to do with the human, he would have surely fallen from grace as Lucifer did."

"Did it work? The seal?" I asked, lost in the story. It was totally different than what I'd learned in church all those years ago.

"Yes, until the human's lover took it off of her. Then the seal was broken and the demon took both of the humans. Michael was beside himself, and he swore on his blade that he'd never let any demon get close to a human again. He taught the angels the seal, but only a few were strong enough to conjour one that would withstand a demon's magic and only for a short amount of time. So, for this guy to have made _four_ all stong enough to keep a Strider back..." He shook his head. "We're not playing JV. He's gotta be NFL status at least."

"NFL status? What would that make him?" I asked.

"I wouldn't be shocked if he was Michael himself, if that says anything." He sighed, looking at me. "But Michael would have killed me on the spot when we first met."

"Why?!" I gasped. He looked at me for a long moment.

"Because it was one of my ancestors that killed his beloved human. That's how I know that story so well. It's been told as a bed time story for the last few thousand years. _Especaily _ in my family."


	18. Chapter 17

"I..." I couldn't think of what to say. It was so much to take in. "What does it look like? The seal." I said, not sure what else I could say.

"Jane turned hers into an earring. Jake's is on a necklace with his rosary. Dadbert's is in the inner rim of his hat." He sighed. "While they have them, they're demon killing machines. It doesn't help that they've been totally brainwashed by that feather fuck either. They'll be blinded with the 'holy calling'. It's so draining it almost hurts."

"Wait. That's only three. Who has the fourth?" I asked, worried for my friends. He looked at me.

"Nobody yet. He hasn't given it to anyone. Probably because I'm close to you and you're close to the fouth human he's picked." He shrugged. "I'll kill him before he can deliver it, though."

I swallowed hard. "W-what if it's Kanaya?" I shuddered at the thought. He squeezed my hands. "And if they're k-killing machines, what if he sends them after you?" I couldn't stop asking this.

My mind was back on my dream, zeroed in on him dying in front of me. My family killing his. I closed my eyes tight, trying to blink away the dream. "That won't happen." He whispered. I looked at him in shock. "I _can_ read your mind, dear." He kissed my cheek. "I won't leave you alone like that. Ever."

I nodded. "And our family won't die so easily. Rose and Rox have some rather...powerful magical abilities." He shivered. "It's really scary, even for me. And Bro, Dirk and I are really good with swords and our hands. Not even the archangels can take us out that easily."

"Powerful magic, huh? Like what?" I was more than happy to divert the conversation from my awful dream to something else.

"Well, once when Rose was...it was her 'time of the month', and Dirk and I were screwing around outside of her room. She came out and I swear she was glowing before she blasted us up into the air. She left us there for hours until Roxy came home and got us down. And Roxy summoned a demon cat...that I think even Bro is scared of. It's usually about the size of a house cat, but it has four eyes. And it grows." He shivered again. "It gets so big that it can barely move in our area."

I swallowed. "Sounds scary." I nodded.

"Neither of those instances did they use their wands. That and Roxy _really_ enjoys guns. Big guns." He smiled. "It's actually really cool to see her use one. You'd never know by looking at her, but the girl's a natural sniper. Shotan angel striht outta the sky by blasting his wing to bits from a good hundred feet away. And he was moving." He sighed.

He suddenly stood up and stretched. "Well, the hunt is on for bird boy now. And, if you see anything feather like on Kanaya, take it directly off of her. Put it in a jar full of salt and put a circle of salt around it. That'll keep the magic of the seal in the circle and delute it." I nodded and stood too. My legs had fallen asleep and I fell forward.

Dave caught me - of course - and smiled softly at me before he pulled me into a hug. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you through your panic attack this morning." He kissed my cheeks and nose. "I'm sorry you had one. That feather fuck should die for making you have one at least." I felt the growl rumbling in his chest.

I kissed him, the growl turning into a purr as I did. My legs tingled and prickled, an unpleasant feeling, as we walked back to my room. I still felt uncomfortable with him coming and going through my window, but it's not like I could walk my demon boyfriend though an apartment building and lobby full of hunters and someone _not_ attack us.

"Be careful. Please." I said as he opened the window again and sat in it. He smiled.

"I will be. I promise." He reached toward me, his hand resting over my mark, his heat sinking through my shirt into my skin. "I swear on our bond that I will return to you tonight, my dear mate."

I shivered at his words. He sounded so...so _not him._ He almost sounded noble. Like a knight...

"I love you." I stepped between his legs, my hands going to his shoulders.

"I know." He smirked, himself again all at once. I rolled my eyes and, keeping a grip on his shoulders, pushed him back.

His arms flailed at his sides as he realized I was teasing, a frown plastering his face. "That was so...not cool Dave." I grinned.

"Is that so?" He asked, crossing his ankles behind my knees, pulling me closer. His arms wrapped around my waist. "You want cool?" He smirked. "Sure thing." He pushed me away gently, and, making me gasp, tipped out of the window.

I gasped and reached after him, just missing his hand. Lurching to the window, I looked down to see him falling with his eyes closed and arms to the sides.

As he neared the ground, I covered my mouth, hoping to stop the building scream. When he hit, there wasn't a wet, hollow thud like there should have been. Right there, where his dead body should be, was a big, black crow.

It looked up at me with red eyes and cawed. In my shock, it flew up and landed in front of me before it landed on the floor of my room. "D-Dave?" I almost choked on his name.

The crow cawed again and grew bigger and bigger until...Dave was standing in it's place. Tears stung in my eyes and I smacked him. "Don't scare me like that!" I gasped, my heart pounding like crazy.

He smiled and caught my hand. "Shhhhh." He pulled me to him. "I love you." He said softly in my ear. "I'm sorry for scaring you. But did you really think I'd let myself die after I promised you I'd be safe?" He kissed my neck.

I couldn't speak. My tears were affectivly stopping my voice. Dave kissed and wiped my tears away, not letting go of me. "That's how I used to watch you. Crows aren't as obvious as a big human sized person, huh?" I heard the smile in his voice and laughed.

"Right." I nodded, trying to get a grip. Dave was okay. And he can turn into a bird. "So you have some pretty strong magic too, huh?" I looked at him over my shoulder.

He shrugged and hugged me tight for a moment. I felt cold as he let me go. "I'll be back tonight. I assume you're not going hunting?" He asked softly.

I hadn't thought about that. Should I stay home again? What would the others thing? "I...I don't think so." I shook my head. "Not unless that family attacks us." I said with steel in my voice.

He cupped my cheek. "Bro and I will stop them if they do. Your friends won't even know what happened. It'll be like nothing had." He said softly, kissing me sweetly.

I sighed and bit my lip as he moved to the window again. As he moved out this time, he perched and jumped out. A moment later, he flew past the window, a black feather falling into my room.

Moving to close the window, I picked up the feather. "Michael's seal, huh?" I pursed my lips and inspected the feather.

It even smelled like Dave. I smiled and kissed it. "I guess that makes this Dave's seal."

Something in me told me to press it to my mark, so I did. The mark lit up against my skin, glowing brightly. I stared at it and, for some reason, I felt very powerful.

I laughed, the sound so intense it scared me a little. Is _this_ what Dave felt like all the time?! No wonder he was always so...so cocky! I felt like I could take on a whole hord of evil demons _and_ a legion of angels at the same time!

If only I could feel like this all the time. I sighed and moved the feather, the random burst of energy that ran through me gone. My mark dimmed back to it's normal red.

Why was my life suddenly so complicated?


	19. Chapter 18

I went back to the living room and looked at the clock. Kankri would be home in about an hour, so I would take it upon myself to cook dinner tonight.

As I started to cook, I felt very house wife-y and turned on the news to fill the silence Dave's absence had made so prominate. By the time I put everything in the oven to stay hot, nothing hadreally caught my ear until I heard the name of my school.

I wiped my hands off on a towel and turned up the TV. "Fords High School, as shown beind us, was locked down today for hours after a supposed terrorist group attacked a group of teenagers during their lunch period. Thankfully, the children they had targeted are all well trained in the martial arts and were able to protect themselves and the other students around them.

One girl sustained a few superfacial cuts to her arms and face when she tried to apprehend the attackers when they fled, but she was not seriously harmed. More on this story as it develops." I turned the TV off right as Kankri walked into the the door, his phone pressed firmly to his ear.

"Right. And she won't need stitches?" He paused, and I heard Tulip on the other end of the phone. "That's good. I'm so happy everyone is okay." He paused again. "No, Karkat hasn't been feeling too well these last few days, so I've kept him home. Right. Yes." He nodded though she couldn't see him.

"Yes, no interviews. That is the last thing we need." There was a short laugh and what I assumed to be a dirty joke, because Kankri blushed darkly. "That is not funny, Latula. It is actually pretty triggering and I- DO NOT HANG UP ON ME! LATULA?!" He called into his phone, looking at the screen before he sighed.

"So you heard about the attack?" I asked softly from the couch. He jumped at least a foot into the air.

"Karkat!" He gasped, his hand moving to his neck. "You scared me." I grinned. He sniffed the air. "Did you cook?" He went into the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's in the oven. It was a demon attack, wasn't it?" I sighed heavily, wishing I'd been there to protect them.

The oven cdoor clicked shut. "Yes. Terezi got hurt, but not badly. Just a few shallow cuts. They obviously did not care that they were attacking hunters in broad day light and in such a crowded area. That means that these demons are extremely dangerous. The others are keeping everyone away from school until we can get this settled."

"So we don't put other people in danger." I sighed again, yawning widly. "The school must be pretty pissed about twelve kids being pulled for who knows how long after eleven of them were attacked."

He sat next to me and shrugged, his mouth full of food. I smiled as he ate. We never ate like this anymore.

It was always on the go or when we could, not actually pausing to be next to each other while we ate. Even if we ate in silence, it was nicer than just me alone. "Kankri, if I told you I had the key to none of us never hunting demons again, would you go with it?" I asked softly.

He swallowed. "Of course. But I don't think such a thing is possible for us, Karkat." He looked at me, his eyes sad. "I know you never really got to be a normal teenager like I did, and I feel bad about that, but we are what we are. And we are hunters."

"But Kanny, think about it. What if what I said this morning could actually happen?" He looked at me, biting his lip. "What if I told you we had the most powerful demons alive on our side?" He shivered.

"I would be extremely scared and worried about you. Why are you saying these things?" He asked. I looked at the floor for a moment.

_Dave, I'm going to tell him. Everything. I can't keep lying to Kankri. I'd like to do it with you by my side though..._ No sooner had I thought that did I hear a slight tapping on my window. Thankfully I'd left the door to my room open.

"Just a second." I got up and went to my room. Dave - rather, crow Dave was on my window seal, tapping at it with his beak. I opened the window to let him in. He hopped in and grew to his normal self.

"Are you sure?" He whispered. I nodded quickly and took his hand, instantly feeling much better. Together, we walked back into the living room, hand in hand. Kankri raised his eyebrows at us and opened his mouth.

"Please, just let us explain everything before you lecture." I said quickly. His lips pressed into a thin line, but he nodded. "And please remember what you told me this morning before you went to work." I said softly, though it came out in more of a begging tone.


	20. Chapter 19

Dave and I sat on the end of the couch, both of us facing Kankri, who turned to face us. "So, I guess first things first. Dave and I are together. Kankri, I'm pansexual." I took a deep breath and Dave put his hand on my knee, squeezing it lightly.

"And...well, I'll let Dave handle this part. Just please, don't freak out." I begged, looking from Kankri to Dave and nodded. Dave took a slow breath and reached up to take his shades off and move his hair behind his pointed ears.

Kankri gasped and, on instinct, reached for anything to defend himself. Which was a pillow. Great protection, bro. He pulled his knees up to his chest and narrowed his eyes as he stared Dave down.

"Dave is a demon. He's a born demon, so he's been like this since I've known him. And, not once did he hurt me." I said, keeping my eyes on Kankri. "Kanny, relax. He won't hurt humans. Even if they beg for it." I leaned into Dave, giving his hand a small squeeze.

Kankri looked like he wanted to rip me away and cut off Dave's head, but he remained quiet like he'd promised. "Now that you know that, I can explain this next part a lot easier." I sighed. "Dave is a Strider. They run the demon underground, basically. And not only has his brother vowed to protect us - _all_ of us, but I'm extra protected."

He blinked at that part as I moved my shirt down and to the side so he could see my mark, the same red as Dave's eyes. "This is my link to Dave. It's kind of like a demon's engagement ring." I smiled softly at that. "Now, at least. Before it was a really bad thing. Now it's a really good thing." I said quickly.

Now Kankri moved, sitting up and leaning toward me. His finger traced the mark like mine had, feeling the slightly raised edges and the warmth that flooded out of it. "Dave's brother said they'd fight with us against the demons who were dumb enough to attack us. And the angels." His eyes bugged at that.

"Angels aren't good, Kanny. They're body snatching, soul replacing pricks. The one in John called me a lot of bad things an angel shouldn't. And he's been brainwashing our friends. Jake English, Jane Crocker and even John's dad." I said, shaking my head. "And I'm pretty sure he's coming after Kanaya next."

Our eyes met and his gaze hardened. Kanaya was as much as his sister as she was mine. "No." Was all he said. I nodded.

"And Porrim would be really, really messed up about it." His face was leeched of all traces of color. Porrim was Kanaya's older sister and she was the one who more or less dragged Kankri out of his depression like Dave had me. If Kanaya was like our sister, Porrim was our mom.

"No." His whisper was broken and quivering. "This..." He shook his head. "This is all backwards!" He stood up quickly and glared at Dave. "Demons are foul and awful and attack humans! They kill and steal souls and they all deserve to die!" That was the most offensive thing I'd heard him say.

Like. Ever. Dave stood up, making Kankri flinch and shrink in size slightly.

But my Dave simply stood in front of Kankri, meeting his eyes evenly. "Please, don't misunderstand. One family under our domain is like that. The others are all very tame when it comes to humans. To angels and each other, that's a different story. And I vow to you on my name, I will protect Karkat with my life.

And, though I hate to say it, I know who took your father's soul." Shocking me and Dave, Kankri's hand flashed out, a loud slap ringing though the air as his skin met the skin of Dave's cheek. "It's the head of the Fellows clan. He was being disobidient on our rule of now more soul stealing. He also ordered the attack on the school today." He looked at me now, his eyes dark.

"But I thought Bro wasn't going to give them permission?" I asked, feeling my heart thud heavily.

"He didn't. None of us did. That means they're going not only against us but against the new world order. They have earned their demise." He grinned, his fangs showing. I stood up and hugged him tightly.

"See?" I looked at Kankri. "Dave and his family are on our side. The angels are the real enemies. They're the ones causing fear and pain in the world, not demons."

Kankri plopped down on the couch heavily, and I sat next to him, Dave's hands on my shoulders. "I know its kinda world shattering. Trust me, I do." I smiled at him. "Kanny, it will be okay. I promise. Now, we just need to get the other hunters on our side."

He was staring straight ahead, his eyes locked on the map. "It..." He said, not looking away from the map. "It all makes sense now. Where Dave lives is in the thickest area. And you told me about the demons who followed him."

"That was his sisters and brother. I know that now." I said softly.

"Huh? How'd you know that?" Dave asked, making me look up at him. I smiled sheepishly.

"Well, how could I not? They were tailing someone important to me." Then I realized I'd threatened them. Multiple times. "Oh shit. I threated them so many times." I sighed. "Reming me to apologize for that later."

Kankri had finally snapped back into reality and was watching me and Dave, a small smile moving to his face. "You two really are close." He said softly. "Dave." He sat up, his spine straight as a pole. "I would like to meet your brother. And your family."

I stiffened at that, meeting Dave's eyes. We shared a grimace quickly before he spoke. "Sure. How about at my aunt's cafe? They're really great bakers." He smiled. Then he did something I was quickly becoming familiar with.

He tipped his head to this side, his eyes glowing with a distant look in their depths. Then he blinked and smiled. "Karkat, do you want me to stay with you or do you want me to meet with everyone and meet you two there?"

I bit my lip. How would his family behave tonight without his warning? Bro had straight up kissed me last night, so... "We'll meet you there. I remember where it's at." I said aloud._ Please warn them about his...quirks. And to watch the triggers._

He snorted at that, and I grinned. "Okay. I will. Just be careful on the way there." He kissed my cheek softly and walked toward my room.

"I think Kanny would like seeing this." I said, pulling him with us.

"Karkat, what are you tal-" He gasped as, right in front of us, Dave shrank into his bird size, and hopped on the window, looking at me with his red eyes.

"See you in a little bit." I smiled at him.

_I love you._ He said softly in my mind, making me smile. _It's gonna be okay._

_I love you too. _I bit my lip at the second part. _If only I could be so sure._

And, with that, he flew out the opened window, breezing to his home. I sighed and shut the window, feeling all alone.

"You and I are going to have a talk, Karkat." Kankri said before he headed out to the living room again.

I groaned and grabbed my shoes. Might as well get ready as he flips his shit on me.


	21. Chapter 20

As I sat down to put my shoes on, Kankri started. "So, I know you're getting older and now that you actually have a boyfriend, I think we need to talk about some...things." He took a deep breath. "Karkat, we need to talk about...the birds and the bees."

I stopped, the laces taught in my hands, as I coughed and nearly fell off the couch. "W-what?!" I gasped. "Dude I'm old enough to know what to do and not do! I don't need 'the talk'!" I said, my face, neck and probably legs going red.

"Karkat, I know you're old enough in theory, but do you know if Dave has anything? Do you use protection? Do you stretch or-"

"Look, this isn't happening. I'm so not talking about my love life like that. Sorry, but no." I quickly tied my shoes and stood up. "Now lets get going. It's not far from here, but the others are probably there already."

He stood up and, out of no where, hugged me. "I just want to know you're safe, Karkat. In every way." I sighed and hugged him back quickly.

"I am. Dave's never been with anyone else. He would have told me." He nodded. "And I know he'd have told me if he had something. He even admitted to being a demon before we were officially together."

"I'm glad he's so honest with you." He said as we headed to the door, locking it behind us. We made our way to the elevator. As we waited, he fidgeted with his sleeves.

"Nervous?" I grinned.

"A bit. What are they like, exactly? His family." He said softly as the elevator opened with a ding. We were the only ones on it, so I was going to be open with him.

"Well, they're demons. And, from what I can tell, they're all at least bisexual. One of his sisters actually has a crush on Kanaya." I smiled softly. "I bet that if, once we can all get along, that the two of them can be happy." I breathed. "Like Dave and I are."

"So you're really happy with him?" I looked up at his question.

"Of course. I've liked Dave since we met, and now, wth all the secrets gone between us, I can really see myself with him forever." I'd started tracing my mark lightly as I was talking.

"Is it because of that?" He asked, his hand catching mine. I shook my head.

"No. I felt like this way before he bit me." By the look on his face, I'd said too much. "It wasn't unwarrented or unwanted, I swear. It was a mutual want. The mark wasn't exactly planned, but it's not a bad thing. It could have been really bad if Dave and I didn't love each other, though." I shivered. "Really, really bad."

He blinked and started to open his mouth, but I shook my head quickly. "Its really not the kind of thing you'll wanna hear right off the bat. But, all in all, they're nice. Well spoken if not a bit sassy and, like Dave, cocky." I smiled, understanding why they were all like that now.

WIth demons, the older you are, the stronger. And Dave and Rose _had _to be the youngest of the family. Even still, Dave is the most powerful demon I've witnessed in action. I've never seen the others fight, so I couldn't gauge how powerful they were yet.

"They sound nice." He said, and I looked up to see him smiling softly.

"It's like once they heard I was with Dave, they accepted not only me, but you and all the others into the family too. So Bro will probably be a little annoyed that someone attacked his family." The elevator opened and we were stopped from stepping out.

In front of us was Latula leading Terezi by the arm gently. Terezi was pale in the face, which made the cuts along her cheek bones and down her neck stand out. Her usually bare arms were littered with bangades of different sizes, all of them soaked to the top with blood.

She smiled and hugged me the moment she saw me, and my heart broke a little. "We kicked their asses." She laughed, trying to make me smile. "These are nothing. I've had way worse. The doctor just wanted to put some bandages on my arms so they wouldn't reopen if I bumped into something, which you know happens more often than not." She nudged my arm, still trying to get a smile out of me.

I smiled and hugged her again, letting go of any feelings I might have for her other than ones I would feel for a sister. A best friend. "I'll slit their throats, I promise." I said softly, making her relax a bit into the hug.

As we said our goodbyes to the sisters, we made our way into the softening night. Winter was on it's way, so the air had a bitter nip in it that made Kankri pull in closer to me for warmth.

It was nice, being in the lead like this. I haven't felt like this since I stopped hunting not too long ago. To take the lead again was pretty nice.

I turned around the corner and headed down the stairway to the cafe. Kankri paused for a moment until I looked up at him and waved him on with a smile.

He squared his shoulders and met me at the door. "Just relax." I grabbed his hand. He nodded nad I opened the door.


	22. Chapter 21

The sweet, homey air filled my senses and I led Kankri into the cafe. He stiffened as he looked around, seeing all the demons and humans sitting and talking together like normal. It was nice and peaceful, but I understood his wary behavior.

"It's okay." I said softly to him as I spotted Dave flagging me down. I smiled and lead Kankri over to the biggest table in the whole place. "Hey." I said softly, moving to put Kankri in between me and Dave. "Where's the others?" I asked softly.

"They should be here right about now." He looked at the door, which had just opened as he said it. Everyone fell silent, demons and humans, as the Strider family walked in, Bro and Dirk in the back.

A shiver of anticipation filled the room as Bro and Dirk took off their shades, some of the ladies, demon and human, talking about wanting them once their eyes were exposed. Kankri shrank in his seat slightly, obviously nervous.

I patted his shoulder lightly and took his hand under the table. Bro's eyes met mine and we shared a smile as they came over to us. We easily filled the circular table, and Bro sat directly across from Kankri.

Almost like he could sense it, Kankri's hand moved to his pocket, his fingers closing around his knife. "Well hiya babes!" We all looked up to see a tall, blond demon standing in front of us, her eyes a brilliant red. "Hope my brother's been good to ya!" Her southern accent thick.

"This is my sister, Karen." Bro smiled. "She and her wife run this cafe." He said softly. As if on que, a shorter woman came to stand beside Karen, Megan dancing along behind her. "This is Joann, her wife. And Megan, their daughter." Bro grinned as he dragged Megan into a big bear hug, her eyes glowing purple as she grinned.

"Karkat!" She beamed at me and squirmed out of Bro's arms to hug me tightly around the neck. She blinked at Kankri and tipped her head to the side. "Hi!" She smiled brightly, her cheeks going pink before she moved to hug my brother the same way she'd hugged me, her arms lingering around him much longer.

Dave laughed and poked Megan's head. "Easy there kid. Kankri's way too old for you." Dave grinned, making Megan back away, her arms behind her back as she rejoined her moms. Kankri's face was a bright red, and I swear Dirk shifted a bit like he was uncomfortable.

"We'll see." She grinned and smiled sweetly at Kankri. "It's nice to meet you, Kankri. Welcome to the family." She said, her eyes glowing brightly as she danced away. Dave, Karen and Joann shook their heads.

"She's always liked older people." Joann sighed, her voice thick with a New Yorker's accent. "Sorry about that. She's been like this ever since she was thirteen." She looked after Megan.

"Ever since? How old is she exactly?" Kankri asked, his face still burning a beet red. Joann blinked at him.

"She's Dave and Rose's age. She has a baby face. Runs in the family." She said. Kankri looked from Dave to both the girls before he looked back at Joann, who was watching with confused blue eyes. "Oh. You haven't met the others before?" She smiled. "Okay. I'll go talk to Megan about personal bubbles while you guys get to know each other." She headed in the direction Megan had danced away, leaving Karen with us.

Karen pulled up a chair and squished in between me and Dirk, her eyes glowing a shade of red that was closer to pink before she blinked. "Let's go around the table and introduce ourselves to Kankri." She smiled warmly at my brother, who shifted a bit awkwardly next to me. "I'm Karen, as you know." She looked to Dirk.

"I'm Dirk and I'm a huge queen." Roxy giggled before Dirk could speak. Dirk glared at her and the glass she held in her hand shattered, cutting her palm. She laughed and licked at teh bleeding cuts, meeting Dirk's eyes. "Easy there, Dirky. Mutini would just _love_ a new play toy." She grinned, her fangs exposed as Dirk paled.

Bro cleared his throat as Roxy waved her hand over the pile of broken glass, which started to piece itself back together. "I'm Dirk." Dirk said, sounding like he was choking.

"Bro Strider at your service." Bro winked at Kankri, who blushed even brighter. I bit the inside of my cheek, remembering the kiss he and I shared. "Karkat knows what I mean." He snickered. Dave pointedly kicked him under the table.

"I'm foxy Roxy Lalonde!" Roxy smiled at Kankri, handing the newly fixed glass to Karen, who poured something red into it. "And I don't have a drinking problem. I can drink just fine." She giggled to herself as I caught the scent of wine from her glass.

"Hello. I'm Rose. It's so nice to finally meet you." She smiled warmly at him.

"And you know me, so yay." Dave grinned, patting Kankri's shoulder. Karen's eyes fell on Kankri, who had been quiet the whole time.

"Oh." He huffed, swallowing hard. "I-I'm Kankri Vantas, Karkat's older brother as well as his guardian." The whole table chuckled and giggled. "Did I say something funny?" He asked me under his breath.

I shrugged, still not too sure about the whole deal. Rose spoke. "Kankri, dear, we know who you are." She smiled softly at him. "Haven't you ever spotted that black cat that follows you around when you hunt?"

Kankri looked confused as he thought about that. "Yes...Mituna called it his little fluffy buddy and insists that it is a good luck charm." He says, and this time solid laughs come from the Lalonde sisters. "What?" He asks, looking straight at them.

"Nothing, it's just a bit funny. _I'm _that fluffy luck charm." Rose smiles at Kankri, who blinks at her in confusion. "Mituna is a rather sweet boy. He has an untapped potential that could be unleashed if he were like us, but I wouldn't want to bring him into a totally new existance for a simple observation." Rose said, and the table grew somber.


	23. Chapter 22

Dave and I shared a look. _Is Tuna really that powerful that Rose can see it when he's a human?_ I asked softly. Dave nodded.

_Oh yeah. He could level the whole city if he were a demon in the blink of an eye. It'd be super easy for him, too._ I bit my lip hard and focused on the table. _You all have really powerful wills, but his is...wow. _I didn't have to look up to know that Dave was shaking his head.

"So, now that we all know each other, let's get to business. I know this isn't a little 'Meet the family' get together, even though it kinda is." Bro said finally, making us all look at him. His accent was hardly there now and he had a presence that made me feel that no matter what he said, others would listen.

"Right. The attack on the school." Roxy said, any trace of humor gone from her voice.

"The attack on the hunter children, actually." Bro snarled. "The Fellows had been pushing the limit before any of this happened, but to directly go against the order of the alpha..." His snarl rang out loud and clear, making the room go dead silent again as his eyes burned brightly. He paused and took a deep breath, closing his flaring eyes.

Nobody seemed to breath until he opened his eyes again. When he did, they were just barely glowing, his lips pressed into a tight line. "I know they are taking advantage of that angel who's targeted our family and are trying to use it as a diversion to get to the children. They have earned a slow, painful end." His lip twitched as he spoke.

Kankri stiffened at the mention of the angel. "How much have you told him about the angel?" He looked at Dave.

"Not much." Dave said, his voice all business. Everyone was so serious now that I felt like we could break at any second from the tension in the air.

"An angel has killed the John Egbert you knew and has replaced him in his body. That is how they survive on Earth, where demons can roam freely. We, however do not kill humans when we change them. Instead, we simply take a bit of their soul and replace it with a bit of ours. It is a painful process, and if a demon does it enough, they slowly become more and more human. And then they die." He rested his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together, resting his nose on them.

"Not only has the angel killed a human close to my family, it has been stalking and brainwashing other hunter children. Jake English, Jane Crocker and even Dadber- Mr. Egbert." He corrected himself quickly. Dirk and Roxy both flinched as Bro said the names of their humans. "And now our sources as well as Dave say he's targeting someone from your group. I can only assume it's going to be the girl Rose has taken a liking to, because Karkat has already been marked."

Rose looked at the table after she flinched. Kankri sat up straighter. "I won't allow that to happen. If anyone come close to Kanaya, I will take them down. Demon, human or angel." His voice was laced with steal and venom.

Bro smiled. "I like you then. I'll post guards around the building at all times. They won't be able to kill the angel, but they'll be able to keep him at bay." He leaned his weight onto his arms slightly. "As far as the Fellows go, Dave can handle them himself. Any of my siblngs can. However, I feel that, since the head of the clan stole your father's soul, that you two should be involved in rescueing him."

Kankri and I both looked at him. "Huh?" We asked at the same time.

Bro sighed and bowed his head. "Right. Humans. Forgot for a minute." He took a deep breath. "Just because your father's soul was taken, it doesn't mean he can't be restored. He'll need a body, of course. And, I hate to say it, but once we kill that angel, there's no bringing John back."

My mind was connecting the dots slowly. Kankri and I shared a look. "That is, unless they kept your father's body alive to feed from. That's not unheard of, but they'd have kept it a huge secret, because I haven't noticed anything." I felt sick as he said that.

"You mean our father could be being used as a blood bag at the moment and you would have no idea?" Kankri asked, his voice angry.

"It would simply be his body. His soul will be secured in the clan leader's body, keeping him alive. Once we take him down, there'll be nothing but an empty shell. He's old, so that means he'll have other souls trapped, but your father will be one of them. As far as his body goes, they'd have put a piece of a demon's soul in him to keep him obdient."

Kankri puffed up at that, but calmed as Bro spoke. "So, what you're saying is that if they just chucked his body that we'd use John's body for him?" I looked at Bro, who pointed at me.

"Bingo." He said, making me shiver. Did I really want Dad back if it meant him taking over one of my best friend's body?

"It doesn't have to be John. Any body will work." Roxy said softly. "Just as long as it's void of a soul, we can use it. Hell, I could get one super easy if I wanted." She grinned, her eyes glowing.

"No Roxy." The other demons said easily, making her pout and mumble about never having any fun. Bro shook his head and met my eyes.

"I know it sound kinda creepy, but we don't have to do it if you two don't want to." He turned his eyes to Kankri. "And we'd have to blast the angel out of John's body first, anyway, so you guys have time to think about it."

Kankri's hand found mine under the table as I felt tears prickle in my eyes. We have a chance to get Dad back.


End file.
